A New Despair: HHPA's New Semester of Despair
by The Celestial Sky Dragon
Summary: Do you wish to show the world your talent? To use that special wacky skill to bring joy to others? Do you wish to impress thousands of people you don't know with that weird death-defying stunt? Well, why not aim for the top with said talent? Here at Hope Hills Prep, no talent is a wacky talent. We'll take everyone, clown car and all. Do you have what it takes to be Supreme?
1. AND: Profile Pages

**AN: Hello people of Earth and Legacy of Despair! I bring you all this… the first chapter in the newest spin off of Legacy. Yeah… another one… I know. But eh… it's fine.**

**This one is going to be taking place in Hope Hills Preparatory Academy, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school is part of a charter that was drawn up by Hope's Peak Academy, and essentially serves as HPA's American Branch. They have a fierce rivalry with Skyline Academy in Washington, but for 2 months, both schools put aside their differences and come to Skyline Hope Arena, for a sports/talent festival!**

**However, this is not a story about that particular thing. This is a story about death and murder, our favorite subject in school! Things are going to work a bit differently for this one, as such I have edited the "Crit Style" application format and added things to fit my needs.**

**I will say this, I am going to be very strict with this phase of the process. I will NOT accept submissions via Reviews. I cannot stress that enough. If you submit your character through FFN's review system, they will be tossed into the Vat of Nuclear waste that I use whenever I fuck up a chapter or need to delete something rapidly. (In fact, it's what I use when my hard drive full of nudies gets found)**

**I will also be accepting Supernatural Characters. However there will only be 10 slots for each. So I want 10 humans and 10 supernaturals, to keep things nice and even. Also I wish to have exactly 10 boys and 10 girls, so it will be a nice even amount at 20. This number is the final one, but it may change in the future so be careful about that.**

**Another thing I want for you all to know is… well the theme of course! The theme of this story is going to be Reality vs Delusions… which is also why I've added that to the application.**

**Hope Hills Academy also use a different method to obtain future students labeled "Supreme" talents. They in fact host an audition period, where future students can submit an "Audition Tape" to the school for contention. The Prologue of this story will focus on "The Grand Showcase" where the 100 contestants that have passed the Audition Phase will showcase their talents on the stage for the entire Nation! So please include an audition tape for your OCs okay? Thank you!**

**Finally… the submission date will close February 14th. This date may move up depending on how I'm feeling.**

**As a final note, I will say this. I am not looking for joke and or troll talents. Those will be sent to the Vat as well. Please take your time, don't rush to create your OC, I want the best possible characters that YOU can make! Fill the sheets accordingly, backstories don't have to be an essay but please don't just jot down 3 sentences and pass it in. You can take your time and write something decent. I know I may sound like a dick being so demanding, but I've read my fair share of bad OCs and I don't want to sift through a pile of duds while looking for the hidden gems. You should be competing with each other to make the very best characters you can! So please take your time and I assure you, you will achieve something good, and who knows, you might even get into this little project.**

**One more Final Note haha… The title of this story is A New Despair: H.H.P.A.'s New Semester of Despair. This is a spiritual reboot of Morning Hope Academy in LoD, but it's also an homage to Crit Fail's very first story, A New Despair. I read that story from beginning to it's cancelation before A New Hope was written. I hold it dear in my heart, even if it isn't available to read on FFN anymore. I wish to revive this title and give it a fresh coat of paint. So expect some similarities to M.H.A. if you've read it… but this entire school is going to be completely different from M.H.A. So keep that in mind!**

**That's it… all my notes on this story. I understand that this is going to be quite the lengthy read, but I do hope you've enjoyed it. Thank you all for your time! And for those who will be accepted in the future… Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth!**

**Update: As of now, I have decided to separate the profiles from the first chapter. It's already very long and I didn't want everyone scrolling down to the very bottom just to see the profiles. With these, it added to it's total length and it just didn't look good to me. Submissions will be closing February 15th of 2020, however, I am getting a lot of good OCs, so I might end up closing subs early. Thanks to everyone that submitted so far. Also, I've added something new to the application below the "Supernatural Talent" option. That basically makes it easier for me, as right no I can't tell who is human from who is supernatural, it just helps me sort things. I know I said I wanted 10 humans and 10 supernaturals, but that's been rescinded. With the cancellation of Oasis and Misfits as well as the reboot of Legacy, things have been changing a lot. So right now, I'm just concerned with everyone finding proper homes for their OCs. So again, if you had an OC in either that was accepted, feel free to send them here! **

**I am also adding some Guest Characters to the story! Of course, they won't be in the story from the get go, but this group of Six will be heavily involved with the story. They will likely not be introduced until after the first act of the story. I've gotten a lot of wonderful characters so far, so even if they aren't in the main story, you still have a shot at snagging one one of those guest spots. So I hope you all are inspired to enter. Those slots will be first come first serve, unlike the ones from the story proper, so even if you don't make it into the story, you can still make it into the story that way. I'll keep everyone as informed as possible in the coming weeks. See you all soon!**

**Update: As of January 17th, 2020, The main cast has been chosen. There are three remaining slots for the Guest cast remaining. There were so many wonderful OCs that I broke my rules several times, ending up with 24 students and now 10 guests, the final number for this cast will be 34 in total. And before you ask if I can juggle that, I have in the past, and I will this time. I'm confident enough in my abilities and will strive to provide a good story for you all. This is the spiritual successor to Morning Hope Academy after all, and that one had way more characters than this. Not only that, but the Guest Cast are separated from the Main Cast in a way that I can tell a story with them alongside the main events and still provide enough content for them all. Now that the main cast has been chosen, I will say that I am closing public submissions a bit earlier. I've decided to close them on the original date of January 30th. Thank so much to everyone that submitted, and if your characters weren't chosen, then I truly do apologize. It's been a long process and believe me, I had some hard choices to make here. Congratulations to everyone who everyone who made it in! Especially a certain someone who blew me away with all 4 of his OCs. I hope you all have a magnificent day!**

_**xxx(Application)xxx**_

**Full Name:**

**Gender:**

**Age: **

**Birthday:**

**Nationality:**

**Talent:**

**Supernatural Talent: (Just write N/A if your OC is a regular ol' human)**

**Sexuality:**

**Blood Type:**

**Hair Color**

**Hair Style/Length:**

**Eye Color:**

**Skin Tone:**

**Body Type:**

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:**

**Height:**

**Weight:**

**Normal Clothing:**

**Exercise Clothing:**

**Sleepwear:**

**Accessories:**

**Personality:**

**Character Traits:**

**Greatest Fears:**

**Delusion: (As this story deals with Reality vs. Delusion, what is one thing that your character has deluded himself/herself over? What is one thing that they wish to make a reality, something that to them is so real, that it overtakes everything. What is that wonderful delusion that encroaches their reality? Place it here! And be as detailed as you can be… it helps me a lot!)**

**Audition Tape: (This goes without saying… I will be treating this as if I was part of the Board of Trustees in HHPA. If you do not include an Audition Tape, I will not accept your OC. So yeah… keep that in mind. It doesn't have to be long, hell it doesn't have to be serious… just enough so that I can get a feel for your character. It also helps with writing and figuring out how they act and structuring their dialogue. After all, what better way to get a feel for a character than receiving something written by the creator themselves? I would like this to be in the style ofa scene, as if you yourself were preparing a tape to end to say, American Idol or something else, please be creative. Applications sent in without an audition tape will be REJECTED, keep that in mind.)**

**Hobbies:**

**Likes:**

**Dislikes:**

**Strengths:**

**Weaknesses:**

**Friendships/Enemies: (What sort of people would your character be able to befriend and get along with, and conversely who would they have trouble getting with or loathe?)**

**Romance: (Are you alright seeing your character fall in love? If so I just need to know and what would compel them?)**

**History: (You can make this a paragraph or a page long. I just need enough to know how your character became the person they are. What shaped them? What drives them?)**

**People of note: (Does your character have any important friends and or family outside of the killing game? Or just important characters in their life?)**

**Secrets: (I need this from EVERYONE. There needs to be that one skeleton in your closet, that you'd lament getting out.)**

**Reason why your character could kill: (Not everyone will have a straightforward reason. Just give me something to work with. Is there some secret? Some person in their lives that could be used to motivate them? Are they impulsive or hot-headed? Giving me an answer doesn't mean your character will be a blackened, but it does give me more to work with character-wise.**

**Preferred role in the Game: (Protagonist, Victim, Survivor, Mastermind, or something else entirely?)**

**Reaction to the Killing Game: (Self-explanatory, but give me a general sense or even some sample dialogue of how they would handle this)**

**Reaction to discovering a body: (Self-explanatory, but give me a general sense or even some sample dialogue of how they would handle this)**

**Reaction to being accused as the blackened: (Self-explanatory, but give me a general sense or even some sample dialogue of how they would handle this)**

**FTE: (If you have any ideas for your character to explore in free time with someone, please share them with me. It can be something simple or very serious and complex. The more the merrier)**

**Quotes: (I'd like to see a bare minimum of 3-4 quotes from all applicants. It serves to help me know how the character speaks.)**

**Introduction: (How would they first introduce themselves to someone else?)**

**Mannerisms: (List if applicable)**

**Execution Ideas: (Optional)**

**MISC: (Anything else you wish to share.)**

_**xxx(Submitted Character)xxx**_

**1\. Camille Lin [Supreme Hairdresser] Submitted by Bellatrixshine**

**2\. Sasha Raymond-Reddington [Supreme Paparazzi] Submitted by JCW18**

**3\. Yoshitora "Yoshi" Utagawa [Supreme Kabuki Actor] Submitted by Raz the Giant**

**4\. Peter Burnett [Supreme Showman] Submitted by CelestialSkyDragon**

**5\. Nodoka Toyohama [Supreme Japanese Pop Star] Submitted by CelestialSkyDragon**

**6\. Kaguya Kagami [Supreme Sociologist] Submitted by Yuuki Itsuka**

**7\. Akira Kashi Kansatu [Supreme Detective] Submitted by TheSparten2121**

**8\. Kafuka Fuura [Supreme Optomist] Submitted by Danieltruong1917**

**9\. Ruby Steel [Supreme Kinetic Artist] Submitted by richboylion**

**10\. Asahi Komon [Supreme Happiness Advocate] Submitted by life among the dead**

**11\. Chibi Komon [Supreme Supernatural Theorist] Submitted by life among the dead**

**12\. Jamila El Sayed [Supreme Fire Dancer] Submitted by Abitat Eco**

**13\. Ophelia Driscoll [Supreme Wedding Planner] Submitted by bellaxtrixshine**

**14\. Nina Harris [Supreme Technomancer] Submitted by StoryProducer214**

**15\. Dr. Louise Annabelle Bogweather [Supreme Doctor] Submitted by Barbacar**

**16\. Kristine Omo [Supreme Children's Toymaker] Submitted by TheSparten2121**

**17\. Mira Arwen [Supreme Orochi] Submitted by MudkipOfDespair**

**18\. Ernest Anerson [Supreme Magician] Submitted by TheBlueCzar**

**19\. Anton Grey [Supreme Chosen One] Submitted by SuperGuy559**

**20\. Sean Jenkowski [Supreme Mechanic] Submitted by 71527483**

**21\. Cleavance Gatfield [Supreme Breakdancer] Submitted by 1Glimmershine**

**22\. Aaron Baird [Supreme Podcast Host] Submitted by PrincePokePersona**

**23\. Alivia Baird [Supreme Webcomic Designer] Submitted by PrincePokePersona**

**24\. Ethan Capala [Supreme Pro-Gamer] Submitted by Life Among the Dead**

**25\. Arthur Rockbell [Supreme Prosthetist] Submitted by ShinyOshawottKing**

**26\. Ezekiel King [Supreme Mystery Novelist] Submitted by Magus1108**

**27\. Rin Chidori [Supreme Mixed Marital Artist] Submitted by SuperGuy559**

**28\. Agneta Young [Supreme Historian] Submitted by Seventh7th**

**29\. Suzuki Rokodou [Supreme Crime Scene Investigator] Submitted by Trygve**

**30\. Robin Winterbourne [Supreme Glaciologist] Submitted by MasterParafin**

**31\. Tetsuko Kusanagi [Supreme Transhumanist] Submitted by Dashunterman**

**32\. Stella "Starly" Astair [Supreme Street Dancer] Submitted by PokemanSuperAllStar**

**33\. Hermoine Vasilykos [Supreme Environmentalist] Submitted by PrincePokePersona**

**34\. Freyja Dahlström [Supreme Meteorologist] Submitted by SqualinaTralala**

**35\. Naomi 'George' Kadokawa [Supreme Lightweight Boxer] Submitted by Seventh7th**

**36\. Daniel M Arthurs [Supreme General] Submitted by danieltruong1917**

**38\. Victoria Louis [Supreme General] Submitted by danieltruong1917**

**39\. Axel Ueda [Supreme Soccer Player] Submitted by BirblordAlmighty**

**40\. Lugh Quinn [Supreme Alchemist] Submitted by JCW18**

**41\. Lila Vulpes [Supreme Movie Star] Submitted by WinterSmith**

**42\. Raef Hyzaki [Supreme Vulpine Enthusiast] Submitted by Life Among the Dead**

**43\. Clara Hertzel-Hanada [Supreme Cardiologist] Submitted by Trust Me**

**44\. Yves Lin [Supreme Fashion Designer] Submitted by Bellatrixshine**

**45\. Briar Alling [Supreme Viking] Submitted by Raz the Giant**

**46\. Naveen Celestin [Supreme Puppeteer] Submitted by Abitat Eco**

**47\. Natsu Akimiya [Supreme Mangaka] Submitted by richboylion**

**48\. Sasha "Cossie" Cosworth [Supreme Motosport Driver] Submitted by Iron-Doughnut**

**49\. Zalicka Hajjar [Supreme Snake Charmer] Submitted by 1Glimmershine**

**50\. Ninian Llyn Ogwen [Supreme Aurelian] Submitted by Restless Rose**

**51\. Kevin Black [Supreme Violinist] Submitted by Iroi14368**

**52\. Kuroko Kurobara [Supreme Hypnotist] Submitted by Dashunterman**

**53\. Tyson Themus [Supreme Aromatherapist] Submitted by ShinyOshawottKing**

**54\. Matthew Roman [Supreme Talent Scout] Submitted by Yuuki Itsuka**

**55\. Lyonel Beck [Supreme Spiritual Guru] Submitted by Magus1108**

**56\. Marion O'Neil [Supreme RPG Maker] Submitted by PrincePokerPersona**

**57\. Joel Sanders [Supreme Musical Star] Submitted by Magus1108**

**58\. John Abbot [Supreme Thanatalogist] Submitted by Iron-Doughnut**

**59\. Edgar "Eddie" Dresler [Supreme Card Player] Submitted by TJMike**

**60\. Alessia "Anchovy" Conti [Supreme Deep Sea Diver] Submitted by Iron-Doughnut**

**61\. Ashe Langdon [Supreme Aerodynamics Expert] Submitted by Mudkip of Despair**

* * *

**Staff Members: **

**1\. Riyo Arioka [Former Supreme Auditor] (Submitted by Trust Me)**

**2\. Tanzo Burckhard [Honorary Supreme Military Tactician] (Submitted by PettyPunk)**

**3\. Ashe Langdon [Former Supreme Aerodynamics Expert] (Submitted by MudkipofDespair)**

**4\. Kaguya Kagami [Supreme Sociologist: Supreme Student Council Chief of Staff] (Submitted by Yuuki Itsuka)**

* * *

_**xxx(Accepted Characters)xxx**_

**Males:**

**1\. Peter Burnett [Supreme Showman] (Creator: CelestialSkyDragon)**

**2\. Yoshitora "Yoshi" Utagawa [Supreme Kabuki Actor] (Creator: Raz the Giant)**

**3\. Aaron Baird [Supreme Podcast Host] (Creator: PrincePokePersona)**

**4\. Anton Grey [Supreme Chosen One] (Creator: SuperGuy559)**

**5\. Robin Winterbourne [Supreme Glaciologist] (Creator: Master Parafin)**

**6\. Naveen 'Papa Navie' Celestin [Supreme Puppeteer] (Creator: Abitat Eco)**

**7\. Lyonel Beck [Supreme Spiritual Guru] (Creator: Magus1108)**

**8\. Joel Sanders [Supreme Musical Star] (Creator: Magus1108)  
**

**9\. Kevin Black [Supreme Violinist] (Creator: Iroi14368)**

**10\. (Reserved Slot)  
**

**11\. (Open Slot)**

* * *

**Females:**

**1\. Sasha Raymond-Reddington [Supreme Paparazzi] (Creator: JCW18)**

**2\. Jamila El Sayed [Supreme Fire Dancer] (Creator: Abitat Eco)**

**3\. Dr. Louise Annabelle Bogweather [Supreme Doctor] (Creator: Barbacar)**

**4\. Nodoka Toyohama [Supreme J-Pop Idol] (Creator: CelestialSkyDragon)**

**5\. Alivia Baird [Supreme Webcomic Designer] (Creator: PrincePokePersona)**

**6\. Hermione Vasilykos [Supreme Environmentalist] (Creator PrincePokePersona)**

**7\. Freyja Dahlström [Supreme Meteorologist] (Creator: SqualinaTralala)**

**8\. Clara Hertzel-Hanada [Supreme Cardiologist] (Creator: Trust Me)**

**9\. Ezekiel King [Supreme Mystery Novelist] (Creator: Magus1108)**

**10\. Alessia "Anchovy" Conti [Supreme Deep-Sea Diver] (Creator: Iron-Doughnut)**

**11\. Zalicka Hajjar [Supreme Snake Charmer] (Creator: 1Glimmershine)**

* * *

_**xxx(Accepted Staff Members)xxx**_

**1\. Full Name:** Riyo Arioka

**Translation:** Riyo (world of truth), Arioka (exist ridge)

**Creator:** Trust Me

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 26

**Birthday:** December 26th

**Nationality:** Japanese Brazilian

**Talent:** [Former] Supreme Auditor

**Supernatural Talent: **Jumping Spider

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** A-

**Hair Color:** Electric Blue

**Hair Style/Length:** Riyo has the lightest and fluffiest hair you've ever seen. It's jaw-length and unkempt with short, puffy twin tails.

**Eye Color:** Black (monochromatic, no pupils)

Riyo's eyes are exactly like a jumping spider's. They are oversized, spherical, pure black, and extremely reflective. On her forehead and covered by her bangs are a second and a third set of smaller eyes. When Riyo is using all six of her eyes, she has what's close to a 360-degree field of vision, but this makes her dizzy if she does it for too long, so she normally keeps her extra eyes closed.

**Skin Tone:** Golden

**Body Type: **Riyo is an Arachne of the Salticidae family, or in other words, the jumping spider family. Below her waist, her body is entirely that of a jumping spider's. Instead of human legs, she has eight stubby spider legs covered in fluffy white hair and a pair of pedipalps. Her hands and wrists are covered in shiny black chitin, and her fingers have needle-like tips. She also has cute little fangs that do produce venom, but her venom is very weak and only capable of incapacitating small animals. Although her spider half is disturbing to most people, some may consider it adorable because of how soft and cuddly it looks.

On the human side of things, Riyo is an abnormally diminutive woman. She has a thin waist, narrow shoulders, slender yet soft arms, and moderately-sized breasts (roughly a C-cup). Her face is round and very youthful, almost cherubic, with the most pinchable of cheeks.

**Scars, Tattoos, or Birthmarks:** A horrendous scar circling around her entire hip, exactly where her spider half meets her human half.

**Height:** 3'3" (99 cm)

**Weight:** 45 lbs (20 kg)

**Normal Clothing:**

Persian green, diamond-patterned sweater vest worn over a white, short-sleeved dress shirt, a matching knee-length skirt, and no shoes (she doesn't have human-shaped feet). It's almost impossible for Riyo to find adult clothing that fits her size and unusual body type, so all of her outfits have to be custom-made.

**Exercise Clothing: **Bright yellow sports bra and a black athletic skirt.

**Sleepwear: **An oversized, "boyfriend-style" nightshirt and nothing else.

**Accessories: **Large, circular glasses with a magenta frame, a short jaguar print necktie, and heavy-duty, black rubber gloves.

* * *

**2\. ****First Name:** Tanzo Burckhard

**Creator:** Pettypunk

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 38

**Birthday:** November 1st

**Nationality:** Novoselican

**Talent:** [Honorary Supreme] Military Tactician

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** AB+

**Hair Color:** blond that gradually darkens to black at the tips

**Hair Style/Length:** almost shoulder length and slicked back. Save for one long bang that reaches his chin and frames the side of his face.  
**  
****Eye Color:** Pale Green

Skin Tone: Tanned complexion  
**  
****Body Type:** very tall and in excellent physical shape. His face natural rests in an intense, scary expression.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Mole under his left eye. Burn wounds all over his lower back. Fenrir tattoo on the back on his right hand.

**Height:** 6'10

**Weight:** 314

**Normal Clothing:** A white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, revealing his muscular arms and a dark brown tie worn loosely. He then has an over-sized red sea captain's jacket resting on his shoulders, but his arms aren't in the sleeves. There are gold trimmings running along the edges. The jacket has some gold chains that attach from shoulder to shoulder running across the chest, so it won't fall off. Blue jeans that cover his shin-high light brown combat boots that have black laces.

**Exercise Clothing:** Grey exercise short, and white running shoes

**Sleepwear:** Black boxer shorts and nothing else

**Accessories:** Silver earrings in each ear. He keeps a sewing kit on hand, though only with red and gold thread that matches his jacket.

* * *

**3\. ** **Full Name:** Ashe Langdon

**Creator: **MudkipOfDespair

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 34

**Birthday:** October 17th

**Nationality:** American

**Talent:** [Former] Supreme Aerodynamics Expert

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** A

**Hair Color:** Silver-gray

**Hair Style/Length:** Ashe keeps her hair in a long, high-tied ponytail that reaches to around the middle of her back

**Eye Color:** Green

**Skin Tone:** Fair, though she does have some freckles on her face, around her nose.

**Body Type:** Ashe is fairly short and lean, though she does have a little bit of muscle. She is also fairly busty, with her breasts at around a D cup.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Calloused hands

**Height:** 5'3"

**Weight:** 116 lbs

**Normal Clothing:** Ashe's normal ensemble is a black tee shirt worn under a blue hoodie, along with a pair of beige khaki shorts and a pair of blue sneakers.

**Exercise Clothing:** While exercising, Ashe will wear a white tank top, and exchange her khakis for a pair of blue gym shorts.

**Sleepwear:** Ashe will normally sleep in her underwear, though on the off chance she gets cold, she'll put on a blue nightgown.

**Accessories:** Ashe carries a brown satchel over her left shoulder, which contains numerous documents, devices, and calculations. Unfortunately, it takes her a while to find what she needs, since it's so messy inside.

* * *

**4\. Kaguya Kagami**

**Creator:** Yuuki Itsuka

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** June 5

**Nationality:** Japanese

**Talent:** Current Supreme Sociologist: Supreme Student Council Chief of Staff

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** O

**Hair Color:** Black.

**Hair Style/Length:** messy unkempt shoulder length hair.

**Eye Color:** Red

**Skin Tone:** Fair

**Body Type:** Kaguya is a rather tall girl. She's quite slim and also a bit skinny.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** None.

**Height:** 6'00 ft.

**Weight:** 100 lb.

**Normal Clothing:** Kaguya wears a dark green hoodie over her black shirt. The shirt has the design of two wings on the chest. She wears a black hotpants bellow and also wears a pair of mismatched kneesocks: one white, one black. Her footwears are pair of black Boots

**Exercise Clothing:** She wears a black tank top and jogging pants.

**Sleepwear:** Kaguya wears a black night gown when she's sleeping. She prefers not to wear a bra when she sleeps.

**Accessories:** A pair of white rimmed glasses. She also has a locket containing a picture of her and Kasuka. She also has a cat hairclip on her hair

* * *

_**xxx(Accepted Character Profiles)xxx**_

**1\. Full ****Name:** Peter Burnett

**Nickname:** Pete

**Creator:** CelestialSkyDragon

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 19

**Date of Birth:** July 5th

**Nationality: **American (Born in Bethel, Connecticut)

**Talent:** Supreme Showman

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** A

**Appearance:** Peter is a handsome young man, with fair skin color and light brown hair, neatly combed and usually slicked with gel. He is very tall, standing at 5 feet 11 inches in height. He has a slim build from a usual routine that has. He had no blemishes or scars on his body (Save for his burned hand) and his always seen wearing his best outfit.

**Hair color/style:** He has short brownish-black hair, usually slicked back with hair gel.

**Eye Color:** Brown (Wears Hot Pink Contacts)

**Skin Tone:** Fair

**Body Type:** Slim build, toned and defined muscles

**Birthmarks, scars or tattoos:** His left hand was burned completely during one of the circus performances. He suffered 3rd-degree burns. Despite the skin surgeries he had on it, it wasn't able to be fully healed. He has it hidden underneath an autographed white studded glove that belonged to the King of Pop: Michael Jackson.

**Height:** 5 feet 11 inches

**Weight:** 160 LBS

**Outfits:** Peter only has one outfit, the outfit that once belonged to his father, which he salvaged after his circus burned down.

His outfit consists of a long-sleeved white shirt, with a silky white collar, which has a golden pin on it. Over it, he wears a vest, with beautiful golden embroidery on the front. The rest of the vest is a silky black color, that is mostly hidden by the ruby red, Ringmaster Suit he wears over it. It has black embroidery on the lapels, as well as golden tassels on the shoulders. The suit has two tails that extend downward, just below his knees, outlined in black silk of the finest quality. He wears a pair of dark black pants stuffed into black leather knee boots. He wears a white studded glove on his left hand, leaving his right hand completely bare.

He has a custom made Parade Cane, which is black in color, most of it is covered with glittering diamonds. The base of the cane handle is silver in color, with a round orb mounted to it. The orb itself is a 35 karat crimson ruby.

He also has a custom made wool top hat. It has a black belt around the brim, with silver holes around it. It has thin leather laces on the right side, with three interlaced gears. This hat belonged to his father, the previous Showman for Burnett's circus. It is the last remaining item Peter has of his father.

**Accessories:** Peter has a golden pocket watch, which was a gift from his mother. The lid has dark engravings on the edge of it. On the inside, he has a picture of his mother, his father, and his younger sister.

* * *

**2\. **** Full Name:** Yoshitora "Yoshi" Utagawa

**Creator:** Raz the Giant

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 18

**Birthday:** October 1st

**Nationality:** Japanese

**Talent:** Supreme Kabuki Actor

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Pansexual

**Blood Type:** B-

**Hair Color:** White

**Hair Style/Length:** Shaved head

**Eye Color:** Neon Blue

**Skin Tone:** Large amounts of body paint and stage makeup that makes his skin snow white along with bright blue and black lines on his face for decoration

**Body Type:** Lean and androgynous

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** N/A

**Height: **5'7''

**Weight:** 142 pounds

**Normal Clothing:** Flowing bright blue kimono with white clouds that reach his knees and his elbows. A pair of baggy black mesh shorts that taper at his knees. A faux white tiger fur vest worn on top of his kimono, that has a matching waistcloth with a tail. A simple pair of black kung fu shoes with bright blue tights. White tiger fur arm guards that stop at his wrists and cover the back of his hands

**Accessories:** A large silver wig that reaches his mid-back. A white backpack that holds his makeup, an ornate folding fan and a journal with writing utensils. His nails are painted black.

* * *

**3\. ****Full Name:** Aaron Baird

**Creator:** PrincePokePersona

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 15 years old

**Birthday:** December 6th

**Nationality:** Canadian (American Immigrant)

**Talent:** Podcast Host

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** A+

**Hair Color:** Light Brown

**Hair Style/Length:** Messy spiky medium length hair that looks unkempt with spiky strands all over his head, messy straight bangs framing the sides of his face and criss cross bangs over his forehead.

**Eye Color:** Pale Blue

**Skin Tone:** Fair White

**Body Type:** Skinny with an average physique

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** He has a small diagonal scar over his left wrist and an oddly shaped blob birthmark on the right side of his stomach.

**Height:** 5ft. 6inc. tall

**Weight:** 124lbs.

Normal Clothing: He wears a long sleeve moss-green quilted shirt with a cartoon radio faced character on the front with a dorky phrase reading "Everything Is Fake News" on the front of his shirt in white, a dark brown leather shearling jacket with a faux white fur collar and sleeves, dark blue slightly ripped jeans, black and white high tops with dark green lacings tied up into a bow with grey socks on his feet.

**Exercise Clothing:** A dark grey long sleeved exercise hoodie left unzipped with a light green vest underneath with a print of his podcast show's mascot, a golden yellow cartoon bird, on the front of the shirt, plain grey sweatpants and black and yellow running shoes with green socks on his feet.

**Sleepwear:** A grey short sleeved T-Shirt with a cool superhero print on the front and wild dotted pair of dark green boxers.

**Accessories:** A black tie loosely hung around his shirt collar, a pair of blue wireless headphones resting atop his head, a silver chain black wallet in his left jean pocket, a music player in his right pocket, a plain brown watch on his left wrist, various beaded bracelets around his right wrist & a small pencil and a notepad in his coat pocket.

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**4\. ****Full Name:** Anton Grey

**Creator:** SuperGuy559

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 19

**Birthday:** 10th April

**Nationality:** British (English)

**Talent:** Supreme Chosen One

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** O

**Hair Color:** Blond

**Hair Style/Length:** Short (ear-length) and slightly messy, but well kept.

**Eye Color:** Purple

**Skin Tone:** Pale

**Body Type:** Fit, tall and broad shouldered

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** N/A

**Height:** 6'5

**Weight:** 170 lbs

**Normal Clothing:** Anton wears a modified version of his soldier's dress uniform that he got while he was still in the army. As such he wears black trousers, a black suit jacket and black shoes. Under his jacket he wears a white shirt and a red tie. Tied to his collar hanging off his back he has a black cape that is red on the inside. It is attached to his collar by a brass clip moulded like a dragon's head. Modifying his outfit he has silver pauldrons on his shoulders, silver poleyns on his needs and silver tactical armoured gloves on his hands.

**Exercise Clothing:** He would practice his swordsmanship in a slightly stripped down version of his normal clothing (taking off his cape, suit jacket and his red tie).

**Sleepwear:** White shirt and pants.

**Accessories:** The most important accessory that Anton possesses is the holy sword Excalibur. Gifted to him by the Lady of the Lake, he is always seen wearing it. It has a custom scabbard that is made of steel and surrounded by black leather. The sword itself is a polished metal with ancient runes engraved down the middle in and always seems to shine in the light and it has a hilt is silver with more leather wrapped around its length to help with grip.

On the breast of his suit jacket he has a medal that was the medal given to all Royal Army Serviceman who survived through the UK monster crisis for their bravery and survival skills. It was awarded by the new British Reclamation Council military junta that now rules the UK.

* * *

**5\. ****Full Name:** Robin Winterbourne

**Creator: **MasterParafin

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** December 20 (yes. he actually is Winterbourne. The insanely convenient puns will never stop)

**Nationality:** British

**Talent:** Supreme Glaciologist (primarily the study of glaciers, but also a generalised term for the study of anything ice-related)

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** O-

**Hair Colour:** Blonde, with some white streaks that outwardly represent his powers.

**Hair Style/Length:** Naturally messy, but somewhat kept. His hair falls down over the right side of his face (left from our perspective), falling down past his right eye, but not covering it.

**Eye Colour:** Purple

**Skin Tone:** Pale

**Body Type:** Robin is a good-looking young man. He has youthful and soft facial features, which makes him resemble "that really cute guy from high school". Robin has an average build; he is in decent shape but he isn't about to buy a gym membership. However, he does have a bit of muscle on him due to... carrying lots of blocks of ice 'n' stuff.

Robin's ice powers grant him complete mastery over every single aspect of the cold. He is completely immune to any problems caused by being in the cold. He can conjure snowballs and ice cubes, he can lower the temperature of the area in his vicinity, he can cause sheets of snow to appear on the ground outside, hell, he could probably build a snowman and bring it to life if he wanted! (..get it? He's basically just like a male Elsa from Frozen.) If you can think of any cool things that involve cold, snow and ice, Robin can do 'em, so don't hold back. :P

Ice flows everywhere within Robin. This means that his whole body is remarkably cold to the touch. Robin doesn't feel this very much as he instantly adapted as part of the transformation, although he always has to live with a minor chill, and Robin loves warmth anywhere he can get it. Everybody else would feel it much more clearly though, and it will most likely cause initial discomfort to get used to, if somebody holds his hand or makes other personal contact.

**Scars, Tattoos, and Birthmarks:** N/A

**Height:** 5'9

**Weight:** 140 lbs

**Normal Clothing:** He likes to dress in rather dark clothes, which directly contrasts with his soft face and voice. He wears a black leather button-up jacket, with a dark blue shirt and dark blue jeans. He also wears black high-top sneakers with white tips.

**Exercise Clothing:** Not much different. Usually just wears his normal shirt and shoes with some black joggers

**Sleepwear:** Set of plain black pyjamas

**Accessories:** He wears rather small silver stud earrings, one in, each ear. He wears a small snowflake pendant around his neck. He has a silver watch on his left wrist, tailor-made to not freeze up and stop working on him. He keeps a silver locket in his pocket (a pocket locket? A polocket?) Which has a picture of a grinning Kiyoshi in it. In his most overwhelming moments, he likes to look at it and think of Kiyoshi's friendship to calm him down

* * *

**6\. ****Full Name:** Naveen 'Papa Navie' Celestin

**Gender:** Male

**Creator: **Abitat Eco

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** 30th October

**Nationality:** Haitan

**Talent:** Supreme Puppeteer

**Sexuality:** Pansexual

**Blood Type:** AB

**Hair Colour:** Dark chocolate brown, with a few faint burgundy strips hanging on either side of his face.

**Hair Style/Length:** Chin-length for the most part, with the slightly longer back sections falling to his neck and other strands of his hair are tied off into a short and neat braid which falls just before his shoulder blades. His hair is slightly messy in terms on top (even despite his own genuine efforts to try and neaten it up), although it doesn't detract from his seemingly handsome nature. A few strands stick up and about here and there, with his ears poking out amongst the strands and his hair. A few longer wispy strands hang on either side of his face to frame it, reaching to just past his chin, whilst his bangs are arranged into three sections, two scraped aside, the middle one falling to just before his left eye, with a slightly jagged end.

**Eye Color:** Amber brown irises, sitting within wide-set doe eyes, with naturally long eyelashes and thin arched eyebrows sitting above, often slightly raised.

**Skin Tone:** Mocha brown, with dashings of darker face paint dotted along his cheeks, portraying various dashes and small Haitan symbols for good fortune and wisdom.

**Body Type:** Quite tall and with some decent tone, although not particularly muscular at all. His build resembles an ectomorph more in terms of his overall shape, with narrow shoulders, fairly skinny limbs, slightly impressive abs and relatively long digits on each hand, especially adapted for the flexibility and dexterity required in his passion. Naveen's facial shape is quite sharply defined, with a pointed chin and high cheekbones, accompanied by a small upturned nose and thin lips often spread into a charismatic smile.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Naveen has a small birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon on the inside of his left wrist and whilst he has no tattoos, Naveen does have dashings of face paint and markings on the side of his neck, at his right shoulder (just about visible) and faintly along the inside of his forearms, portraying similar marks as to those on his cheeks, associated with his own practice and beliefs.

**Height:** 5.7 ft

**Weight:** 147 lbs

**Normal Clothing:** A dark green low-cut blouse with a small collar and a pearl studded button to secure the article of clothing, which is slightly ruffled in nature and has sleeves which fall just past his elbows. Over this lies a crimson open waistcoat with silver threaded embroidery along the sleeve edges and rim in small delicate patterns. Occasionally he may wear a dark grey fine jacket over this as an additional layer which reaches to his waist (usually when performing) but otherwise he will ditch it, or might wear it as a type of cloak of sorts. On his lower half, Naveen wears a pair of dark brown trousers with the ends rolled neatly over, just above his knees and his main outfit is completed by a pair of light grey strap sandals which snake up his calves slightly, with a good sole grip to accompany it.

**Exercise Clothing:** A short sleeved light grey cotton shirt bearing the central design of a skull with a floral pattern around it (resembling a sugar skull, as seen in the Mexican 'Day of the Dead' celebrations), worn with either hazel coloured shorts or trousers and worn with simple blue striped sneakers and dark blue socks with a constellation pattern on them. For swimming, this would consist of a simple pair of dark red swimming trunks secured with a light grey drawstring and bearing the symbol of a kind of voodoo mask on the bottom of the left trunk leg.

**Sleepwear:** A pair of matching pyjamas, with the bottoms coloured midnight blue and bearing an embroidered starry constellation pattern resembling the night sky all along the pyjama legs. The top would be a similar shade, but slightly lighter in colour and depict a small cute looking outline of a voodoo mask, surrounded by similar stars around it. He might also wear thick grey bed-socks on his feet to keep warm and a matching silk dressing gown tied off with a darker grey bow if the weather is colder.

**Accessories:** Additionally, Naveen has multiple accessories to add further interest and character to his outfit. This includes a light brown woven belt, with a small silver buckle in the shape of a skull, multiple bangles on both wrists (decorated with brightly coloured beads, various charms and feathers) a black ribbon choker bearing a ruby in its centre, neatly tied off around his neck and below that, a thin string necklace containing small crocodile teeth charms for good fortune and strength in his magic gifts. As well as that, Naveen also carries a small sheathed dagger in his belt typically, alongside his asson rattle depicting his status, a pair of light grey gloves which he wears on his hands when handling his puppets, a mask shaped silver earring in his right ear and a small top hat on his head, balanced a little to the side and coloured dark grey, with a red ribbon and sprouting an elegant white feather from the top. Lastly, Naveen also has with him his oversized and trusty dusty brown canvas satchel, which contains all the essential items he requires for his art, doll and puppet making, as well as his favourite puppets, a few notebooks, a tiny pack of sewing items and a few other precious talismans.

* * *

**7\. **** Full Name:** Lyonel Beck

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 18

**Birthday:** December 24th

**Nationality:** American

**Talent:** Supreme Spiritual Guru

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** O-

**Hair Color:** A deep, rich burgundy red.

**Hair Style/Length:** Long and free-flowing, Lyonel's hair reaches down to the middle of his back. For the most part his hair isn't styled in any particular way, so he just lets it hang loosely behind his back. Though when need be, Lyonel is willing to tie his hair into a man-bun so it doesn't get in his way. His bangs are also parted in the middle, leaving his forehead and eyes visible as well.

**Eye Color:** A cerulean blue

**Skin Tone:** Fair and light; not too pale, but not too tanned either.

**Body Type:** Describing Lyonel as 'lithe' and 'slim' would be fairly accurate. He's a man of thin stature overall, and doesn't seem to have much in the way of musculature or fat. Overall he's reasonably fit for his age, though if any area of his body is particularly developed, it would be his back. Due to the nature of his angelic wings, his back has become a lot more stronger and more muscular than in the past: after all, he has to both support the weight of his wings, and take flight now and again.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Lyonel lost his right eye in a chemical explosion as a young boy, rendering the area around his eye a mass of scar tissue. He has a black eyepatch that he keeps over his now vacant eye, both to cover up the scarring and the disconcerting blank space where his eye should be. Aside from that, Lyonel also has a tattoo on his neck, on the left side just above his collar bone. The tattoo itself is of a stylized, upside-down sword: with the hilt pointing upward, and the 'blade' of the sword reaching down to his collar-bone.

**Height:** 5'11

**Weight:** 152

**Normal Clothing:** Lyonel dresses rather formally, wearing a tailor-made suit and tie. The suit itself is whitish-silver in color, while the collared dress shirt he wears underneath is entirely black. Finally, the tie he wears along with his suit is a rich purple. And to complete his outfit, Lyonel wears a formal pair of black dress shoes. Lyonel also wears a pair of purple gloves at all times, and rarely takes them off. And, of course, his suits all have large slits in the back, so that he can stick his wings out with little issue.

**Sleepwear:** Lyonel wears a pair of silk boxer-shorts to bed, and not much else. The shorts themselves are very comfortable and even embroidered with his initials. Lyonel also tends to wear a sleeping mask to bed, a simple black strap that he puts over his eyes when he's ready for bed.

**Accessories:** Lyonel has a pair of cross earrings that he tends to wear at all times. Aside from that, he also has a man-purse to carry most of his personal items: a Rubik's Cube, a Bible, a printed copy of the Joyous Chorus' doctrine, several pamphlets about the Joyous Chorus, some chemical supplies, and several bottles worth of his Purity Pills.

* * *

**8\. ****Full Name:** Joel Sanders

**Creator:** Magus1108

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** May 21st

**Nationality:** American

**Talent:** Supreme Musical Star

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** B-

**Hair Color Hair Style/Length:** Joel dyed his hair from its natural black to blue a few years back, and has kept it that way since. He likes to keep his hair short, styling it in a way to make it look natural and effortless; like he'd just come out of bed with that hairstyle, even though he spent the better part of an hour perfecting it.

**Eye Color:** A light, sparkling green

**Skin Tone:** Joel is lightly tanned, having seen plenty of sun during his time; but not enough to give him a more permanent, darker skin tone.

**Body Type:** Joel is slim and small overall. He looks like a child, and his body is built like one. And like a child, he's pretty weak physically.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Joel does have some scarring on his lower back, left there by one particularly aggressive man that raped him when he was young. He also has a small mole on the left side of his face, just below his lips.

**Height:** 4'9

**Weight:** 88 lbs

**Normal Clothing:** Joel wears a striped green sweater, with sleeves that extend all the way down to his wrists. Below that he wears a pair of dark-yellow jeans, and spike-studded light-green shoes. And on each wrist, he wears a pair of silver bracelets, gifts from a prior girlfriend in his younger years.

**Exercise** Clothing: In the rare instances when Joel exercises, he favors wearing a matching pair of grey sweatshirt and sweatpants to the gym.

**Sleepwear:** For sleepwear, Joel just tends to wear a pair of blue-striped pajama bottoms, and nothing else.

**Accessories:** For self-defense purposes, Joel has a stun-gun and a can of mace he keeps hidden in a satchel bag he keeps on his person. He also uses that bag to carry his phone and smart pad.

* * *

**9\. ****Full Name:** Kevin Black

**Creator:** Iroi13468

**Gender:** Male

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** 7 September

**Nationality:** Canadian

**Talent:** Supreme Violinist

**Supernatural** Talent: Vampire

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** O Negative

**Hair Color:** Dyed Grey, naturally black hair.

**Hair Style/Length:** Kevin wears a carefully crafted messy bedhead, spending a significant amount of time crafting his hair into the perfect shape each morning.

**Eye Color:** Icy blue

**Skin Tone:** An unhealthy, almost corpselike pale

**Body Type:** With sharp, handsome features and a tall, strong build, there can be no doubt that Kevin Black is attractive. His shoulders are wide, his eyes dreamy and his skin without blemish. He doesn't exercise and it shows, as he holds little to no bodymass. However, his supernatural abilities still lend him a great deal of strength. Kevin's canines protrude into viscous looking fangs.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Kevin Black has a tattoo of a compass on his wrist. He thought he would be able to tell direction with it.

**Height:** 1,84 m (6 ft)

**Weight:** 74 kg (163 pounds)

**Normal Clothing:** Appearance is important to Black. He wears a sharp, fashionable, and stylish black overcoat. Underneath he wears a and slim fit jeans. He completes the outfit with a pair of expensive leather loafers.

**Exercise Clothing:** When exercising, Kevin takes to a fashionable branded exercise shirt with a special nylon blend that helps for easier cooling and breathing. Point is, its navy blue and expensive. He completes it with black pt shorts and white Nike running shoes.

**Sleepwear:** Kevin wears a silver long sleeve silver silk pajama set, complete with top and bottom. Additionally, when out of bed, he wears a comfortable pair of fluffy slippers.

**Accessories:** Kevin always carries a sleek, stylish and modern black umbrella.

* * *

**10\. (Reserved Slot)**

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**11\. (Open Slot)**

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**Females:**

**1\. ******Full Name:** Sasha Raymond-Reddington**

**Gender:** Female

**Creator:** JCW18

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** June 16th

**Nationality:** Russian-American

**Talent:** Supreme Paparazzi

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** A Positive

**Hair Color:** Forest Green

**Hair Style/Length:** Short, wavy hair that is tied down into two small pigtails.

**Eye Color:** Emerald Green

**Skin Tone:** Tanned, white complexion

**Body Type:** Average height and physique for a girl her age, skinny but well defined. D sized breasts.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** She has several small black dotted birthmarks on her back.

**Height:** 5 feet, 6 inches

**Weight:** 128 pounds

**Normal Clothing:** Sasha wears a green skirt with gold highlights, with a matching colored dress shirt along with a gold sweater vest. She wears green and gold ankle-length leggings, and stylish green and gold high heels. All of her clothes are expensive, custom designer brands.

**Exercise Clothing:** Sasha isn't one for "working out," but if she had to get her hands dirty, a simple green tank top and simple gym shorts will suffice for her.

**Sleepwear:** An expensive, green satin nightgown.

**Accessories:** She carries around a brown satchel bag, that contains film, photos, and her camera. She also wears a yellow carnation in her hair, something she never removes, as it was given to her as a parting gift from the person she cherishes most.

* * *

**2\. **** Full Name:** Jamila El Syed ('The Maiden of Ra')

**Potential Nicknames:** Jam Jam, Mila (Friends and acquaintances)

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 16

**Birthday:** 13th October

**Nationality:** Egyptian

**Talent:** Supreme Fire-Dancer

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** A+

**Hair Colour:** Orange shaded, with darker auburn streaks tipping the ends of her hair.

**Hair Style/Length:** Long and rather buoyant, with decent body and natural curl in her tresses and reaching to just above the level of her waist. She usually wears it in two long pigtails down each shoulder, the ends curled underneath and secured with brightly coloured crimson bands. Further long curly strands fall against the sides of her oval face to frame it, resting just below the level of her chin. Her fringe is rather fluffy, hanging almost down the centre of her face to rest at the level of the top of her nose (poking out underneath her elegant headscarf) whilst the left and right sections of her hair are scraped aside. Jamila also has two separate strands protruding almost symmetrically from the left and right sides of her hair, giving the slight impression of antennae and with it a slightly wind-swept appearance despite her elegant clothing. Jamila does wear her hair completely loose down her back when she sleeps though.

**Eye Color:** Silvery grey, with wide doe shaped eyes and traces of mascara and eyeshadow adding emphasis to her hazy irises. Her eyebrows are arched and of medium thickness, the ends slightly droopy from their resting position.

**Skin Tone:** A very pale hue, light in colour and rather subtle. This can be attributed to the skin paint she wears for her performances.

**Body Type:** Rather skinny, to the point of being slightly underweight, which aids her movements in her dancing in terms of providing grace to her actions. Her chest size is about average, sitting at a C cup and the few curves she has at her hips a relatively subtle. Despite her skinny ectomorph build and how some people may view her as looking 'delicate', she does have significant postural strength in her legs, which is essential for maintaining balance. Her face is generally oval shaped with a subtly pointed chin, small upturned nose and small thin lips coloured a soft berry red, often parted in a manner conveying surprise or contemplation.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Jamila has a few faint marks on her figure. Additionally, Jamila wears a beautiful burst of bright body paint decorating her cheeks, forearms, legs and faintly on her left collarbone, mostly in bright colours of red, gold, green and royal purple. The patterns vary from pretty spirals and small shapes to elaborate patterns, including a red and amber flame painted onto the back of each of her hands.

**Height:** 5.6 ft

**Weight:** 124 lbs

**Normal Clothing:** Usually her performance outfit: A bardot-styled red top, which is light and flows elegantly with a slightly frilled bottom to the tops of her thighs, slightly open at the middle to expose a small portion of her stomach. A string of large, round and gold coloured beads rests underneath her breasts, holding the clothing article in place, the top displaying a frilly lace border, with similar borders at the end of her sleeves which are silk and translucent, reaching to just past her elbows from their bardot-style. Accompanying this, she wears a waist-high flared skirt of a matching fiery red, hanging to the same level of her top and also frilled on the bottom border to add embellishment to the outfit. Finally, to finish off her look, she wears a simple pair of bronze coloured sandals on her feet, although she often dances barefoot. In the hot sands of a desert however, bare feet is not the wisest option of 'footwear' at all. For her performances, Jamila also has a translucent veil to cover her face and it has become almost habit and expected that she wears it when performing. However, Jamila may dress in a more casual style at times and opt for a fuschia pink and white chequered blouse with bardot sleeves and straps over her shoulders, ruffled at the bottom and tucked into a pair of white knee length crop jeans, worn with her sandals or striped pink sneakers.

**Exercise Clothing:** Anything that is loose but comfortable: such as a green coloured vest top with a white floral pattern and a loose pair of grey coloured shorts reaching to just before her knees, probably with a pair of simple grey and loose sneakers. Swimwear would consist of a lilac tankini top, the top with a halter neck and purple polka dot pattern with a matching pair of pants, the ends flared like a skirt.

**Sleepwear:** A silky dark blue coloured nightdress reaching to her knees, decorated in a pattern of silver dots resembling various star constellations, with strap sleeves. If it was a chilly night, she would wrap a grey or lighter blue shrug over her shoulders to keep herself warm as a substitute dressing gown and light grey slippers with bows at the ends.

**Accessories:** To add extra interest to her appearance, Jamila has many other noticeable accessories. This includes her jewellery: a small grey choker around her neck, with an embedded amber stone in the centre surrounded by silver plating, silver circular anklets snaking up her calves like snakes and several thin jewelled jangly bangles around each wrist. As well as this, she wears a scarlet woven headscarf, secured in a small bow at the right side of her head, which sits over her fringe and across her forehead. On the left side of her hair, she wears a large hair clip in the shape of a star.

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**3\. ****Full Name:** Dr. Louise Annabelle Bogweather

**Creator:** Barbacar

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 15

**Birthday:** October 8th

**Nationality:** American

**Talent:** Supreme Doctor. Not so much in terms of being a traditional doctor (though she'd prefer to be thought of as one), but instead more of a witch doctor. She's a firm believer in natural medicines, alternative medicines, mystical remedies, home remedies, spiritual treatments, and things of that nature. Her treatments are all quite archaic and outdated and drawn from all sorts of different cultures and eras. They range from leeches to humors, to homeopathy, to voodoo, and so on. Despite the questionable nature of her treatments and remedies, they're often surprisingly successful, with her patients often feeling better soon after. It's unclear whether this is because of luck because she's a master of the placebo effect, or because her methods truly are viable. Whatever the reason, she seems to get results.

**Supernatural Talent: **Witch Doctor

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** AB

**Hair Color:** Pitch black

**Hair Style/Length:** She has very long hair, that that reaches all the way to her ankles and usually covers her right eye.

**Eye Color:** Green

**Skin Tone:** Very pale.

**Body Type:** A very frail-looking girl, she's slightly above average height and very thin. Her teeth are unusually sharp and pointy, and her eyelashes are noticeably longer than average. Her arms are long and thin, as are her legs, though it's harder to tell with those due to her dress.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** She has a few small nicks and scars on her hands, from accidents during medical work.

**Height:** 5 foot 5

**Weight:** 99 pounds.

**Normal Clothing:** Usually wears a long, frilly, old-fashioned black dress that reaches her feet, and a matching frilly black hat, with a wide brim and a tall, flat top. While not always visible due to her long dress, her shoes are pitch black heels.

**Exercise Clothing**: A simple black blouse and matching skirt.

**Sleepwear:** A lacy black nightgown that extends to her ankles, along with a pair of matching lacy slippers and a sleeping cap of the same colour. She also wears a sleeping mask that resembles a plague doctor's mask, to keep away the sicknesses while she's at her most vulnerable, according to her. She also often sleeps with a stuffed plush mosquito.

**Accessories:** Usually has a large, ornate pipe in her mouth, black with gold embellishments. It's usually lit, except in cases where it's explicitly not allowed to be, in which case she just keeps it unlit in her mouth. When lit, the glowing end of the pipe and the smoke coming from it can have various different colours and scents depending on what's been put into it, which also corresponds to the positive effect the smoke will supposedly have on her and everyone in the vicinity, according to her anyway. She also owns a voodoo doll, though she refuses to specify who it's of, that she keeps in her pocket. When angry, annoyed, frustrated, bored, or some similar emotion, she'll take it out of her pocket and abuse it in various ways for a bit. She also has a patchy, well-worn doctor's bag, where she keeps various medicines and tools. She also keeps a patchy old handkerchief in the pockets of her dress.

* * *

**4\. Full Name:** Nodoka Toyohama

**Creator:** CelestialSkyDragon

**Nickname:** Rika Nyan Nyan (Stage Name)

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 18

**Date of Birth:** July 15th

**Nationality: **American-Japanese

**Talent:** Japanese Pop-Star

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** AB

**Appearance:** Nodoka is a short young woman, being around five feet four inches in height. She has fair colored skin and brilliant sapphire eyes. She also has lemon yellow colored hair, usually tied in a side ponytail, which looks a bit frayed. She has two long strands that frame her face, styled in ringlets, and has short bangs on her forehead. She has a small nose and full pink lips, and looks rather young despite her being eighteen. She wears a black spaghetti strap shirt, with a pair of jean shorts, and brown sandals, the straps of which crisscross on her legs.

**Hair color/style:** Lemon yellow hair, that reaches down to her upper back. She ties it with a white ribbon to the side of her head, in a ponytail. She has two strands that frame her face, forming ringlets, and she has short bangs on her forehead.

**Eye Color:** Sapphire Blue

**Skin Tone:** Fair

**Body Type:** Petite (B cup breasts)

**Birthmarks,** scars or tattoos: None

**Height:** 5 feet 4 inches

**Weight:** 120LBS

**Outfits:** Her normal outfit consists of a black spaghetti strap shirt, with a white sports bra underneath it. She wears a pair of dark blue jean short shorts and brown sandals. The straps wrap around her legs, forming a crossing pattern.

**Idol Get Up** (The Reason she's called Rika Nyan Nyan):

Her idol outfit consists of a rather revealing outfit. She wears a strapless light pink dress, that hugs her developing curves nicely. The dress has a heart-shaped collar, showing off quite a bit of her cleavage, and is lined in black. The bodice of the dress is light pink in color, the sides of which bearing thin black ribbons, forming a sort of corset pattern on her sides. She wears a black ruffled skirt, with three layers. Each layer has paw prints embroidered into it. She also wears a large patch on her left hip in the shape of a cat face. She wears white stockings on her legs, that reach up to her thighs, and have two little triangle-shaped indents, in the shape of kitty ears. They have a kitty face on the front as well. She wears a pair of pastel pink high type of shoes, that are black and pink in color. The laces are topped with pink fluff balls. She also wears a black cat tail that moves around of its own accord, almost as if it was a real tail (Hmmm...)

To finish her look, she wears a pair of pink and black gloves in the shape of cat paws on her hands. She also wears a bright pink and black, custom made headset, in the shape of cat ears. They glow bright pink in color. They, in fact, reflect whatever mood she's in. So they change colors with her emotions.

**Accessories:** She wears a black choker around her neck, which has a golden bell on it. It jingles whenever she jumps around. She also has a laser pointer which she uses to annoy her friends.

* * *

**5\. ****Full Name:** Alivia Baird

**Creator:** PrincePokePersona

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 15 years old

**Birthday:** December 7th

**Nationality:** Canadian (American Immigrant)

**Talent:** Webcomic Designer

**Supernatural Talent: **N/A

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** A-

Hair Color: Light Brown with dark brown tips near the ends of her hair.

**Hair Style/Length:** Long wavy hair that ends near her lower waist with loose long strands sticking out the sides of her hair, curly bangs framing the sides of her face and curled tips at the ends.

**Eye Color:** Pale Violet

**Skin Tone:** Pale White with a slight fairness to her complexion.

**Body Type:** Skinny but leaning on the thinner side with a B cup bosom.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** She has a small diagonal scar over her right wrist, a flower shaped birthmark on the left side of her stomach and a small beauty mark underneath her left eye.

**Height:** 5ft. 4inc. tall

**Weight:** 109lbs.

**Normal Clothing:** She wears a soft reddish pink long sleeved button up blouse with a dark blue sweater with a cute anime cat and dog cartoon print on the front of the sweater, a dark purple knife pleated knee length skirt and red and pink striped converse sneakers with white lacings and white socks on her feet.

**Exercise Clothing:** A soft dark purple hoodie with a dark black tank top underneath with a logo of her webcomic "Perfectly Depressed" in swirly bright pink and white letters on the front, plain black shorts and purple and blue running shoes with white socks.

**Sleepwear:** A lavender and white panda bear onesie with a purple hood with panda ears and little black pom pom strings attached to the hood with cute pink bunny slippers on her feet.

**Accessories:** She wears two identical purple and white polka dotted ribbon bows on the left and right side of her head with cute cat brooches on the front of each bow, a black ribbon tie with a red gem in the center around her shirt collar, two anime bracelets around her left wrist and a pearl bracelet around her right wrist & a small dark red satchel bag around her shoulder with her portable Nontando Flip Console, drawing supplies and snacks inside.

* * *

**6\. ****Full Name:** Hermione Vasilykos

**Creator:** PrincePokePersona

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 16 years old

**Birthday:** April 24th

**Nationality:** Greek-American

**Talent:** Environmentalist

**Supernatural Talent:** N/A

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** O+

**Hair Color:** Wild Orchid Balayage with a few pure white colored streaks in her hair.

**Hair Style/Length:** Long messily curled hair that reaches behind her knees, fashioned into a wild curly ponytail with a few stray curly strands framing the sides of her face.

**Eye Color:** Red - left eye

**Yellow** \- right eye

**Skin Tone:** Light tan with a clear complexion

**Body Type:** An hourglass, yet boyish, skinny physique with a D cup bosom.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** She has a small black ivory vine tattoo with green leaves around her left wrist that extends to her pinky finger, a small purple orchid vine tattoo around her right wrist that extends to her ring finger, a few small claw like scars on both of her legs and one small mark near the right side of her neck.

**Height:** 5ft. 7inc. tall

**Weight:** 113lbs.

**Normal Clothing:** She wears a frilly off the shoulder emerald green peasant top with long sheer sleeves; the top has a midriff with criss-cross string tied into a loose light green bow with a green rose in the center of the bow, a maroon bra underneath the top, dark blue slightly ripped short jeans and black gladiator sandals with bright red orchids attached to the ankle straps.

**Exercise Clothing:** A maroon sports bra with white flowers patterned all over the design, grey yoga pants with a red leaf vine pattern running along both sides of her pants and maroon and black running shoes.

**Sleepwear:** A dark black bra with a green leaf sheer night coat, pale blue panties with brown pawprints with the ends having small tears and fuzzy brown dog slippers.

**Accessories:** A white and light pink ombre rose hair scrunchie fashioned into her ponytail, a silver flower vine necklace with pearls in the center around her neck, blue and green artificial leaf bracelets around both of her wrists and brown purple flower lei ankle bracelets around both of her legs.

* * *

**7\. ****First ****Name:** Freyja Dahlström

**Creator:** SqualinaTralala

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 13

**Birthday:** May 29th

**Talent:** Supreme Meteorologist

**Supernatural Talent:** N/A

**Nationality:** Norwegian

**Sexuality:** Bisexual

**Blood Type:** B+

**Hair color:** Dark plum

**Hair Style/Length:** Messy and mid-arm length, the side strands are shorter, being as long as her bangs and are slightly curled upward.

**Eye color:** Bright aquamarine

**Skin color:** Light beige

**Body type:** Slim and flexible build, she's a bit taller than the average girl of her age

**Scars, Tattoos or birthmarks:** None

**Height:** 5'6 (168 cm)

**Weight:** 112 lbs (51 kg)

**Physical description:** Freyja is a young girl with a rather tall and slim build for her age, being 5'6 and 112 lbs. She has light beige skin and lively aquamarine eyes that almost seems like they would shine in the dark so much they are bright. Her mouth is rather unique, sometime taking a "w" shape, and has a vaguely feline look to it. She has mid-arm's length dark plum hair that are a bit on the messy side. The side strands are shorter, being as long as her bangs and are slightly curled upward.

**Normal Clothing:** Freyja wears a fluffy plush hoodie with a rather intricate design that stops at her mid-thigh. The sleeves are a greyish purple and are very short, being cap length. The shirt part is mostly sky blue, except for the center that is white and is decorated with button knots. The lower part of the shirt is also white and has a grey Fair Isle pattern. As for the hood, it is a very pale lilac and has a greyish purple lining. She also wears a pair of shorts that is the same color as her hood. For the shoes, she wears a pair of dark purple and brown boots.

**Accessories:** As for accessories, Freyja wears an assorted pair of white arm warmers and knee-high socks with the same Fair Isle pattern as her hoodie. She also wears a dark purple choker on her neck. She also likes to carry a large umbrella that has a white and sky-blue gradient. Finally, Freyja wears her signature mascot Japoka hairpin, which is a mint green triangle with a smiley face and white wings on the right side of her head.

**Exercise Clothing:** Freyja wears a sky-blue tank top with a green alien print over a cotton white t-shirt and a pair of grey mini shorts. She also wears a pair of short white socks and running shoes.

**Sleepwear:** Freyja wears an oversize lilac nightie with Memphis style patterns on it, loose white socks and a pair of mint green slippers.

* * *

**8\. ****Full Name:** Clara Hertzel-Hanada

**Translation:** Clara (bright), Hertzel-Hanada (heart flower field)

**Creator:** Trust Me

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 18

**Birthday:** September 29th

**Nationality:** Austrian-Japanese

**Talent:** Supreme Cardiologist

**Supernatural Talent:** Orchid Mantis

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** AB-

**Hair Color:** Gradates from chantilly pink on the right to pure white on the left.

**Hair Style/Length:** Has an addictively silky texture that's practically begging to be caressed. Waist-length when worn loose, but the bulk of it is usually tied up in an elaborate crown braid that adds a royal flair. Bangs sweep over her left eye while wispy strands cradle her unique features. Overall, her hair comes across as being prim but not sterile of style.

**Eye Color:** Light turquoise

**Skin Tone:** As white as sparkling bone. To be less dramatic, Clara's skin is sickly pale and meticulously made to look healthy by a liberal layer of powder.

**Body Type:** Her three sizes (bust/waist/hips) are 33-22-38 (or 83-56-96). Clara is of average height and her build is very slender with one exception: her remarkably wide—some may even say childbearing—hips and tantalizingly thick thighs with a gap between them. This is where all her body weight went to. It'd be supremely rude to say it, but Clara is the definition of "bottom-heavy". And yet, it's not as though she's particularly lacking around the "top half" either. In a sense, she's rather blessed in this one regard. It's worth noting that her arms look frail, but they're actually sculpted from deceptively dense musculature.

Although it's relatively subtle compared to most cases, Clara was mutated into an insect girl of the Orchid Mantis variety. Upon extremely close inspection, one may see that her eyes are compound with a tiny black dot at the center—a pseudopupil. Through biological means that have yet to be scrutinized under the scientific lens, Clara doesn't have any difficulty seeing pictures in focus despite her compound eyes—though she does retain the sensitivity to motion. Her face is also abnormally smooth and has an unusual sheen to it. Past her constantly closed lips, Clara has a mouth filled with translucent, needle-like teeth. And along each of her forearms—neatly slotted in the space between her radius and ulna—is a chitinous blade with a serrated edge that is durable and dangerously sharp. Her blades are pearly white in colour but gradually bleed into a vibrant pink at the tips. Like a switchblade on steroids, they can extend and be retracted at will with lightning speed and deadly consequences for anyone on the receiving end.

**Scars, Tattoos, or Birthmarks:** A couple of very small and very precise scars on the underside of her forearms from surgical incisions. She has a small, heart-shaped birthmark on her right inner thigh.

**Height:** 5'5" (165 cm)

**Weight:** 139 lbs (63 kg)

**Normal Clothing:**

Frilly, peach-toned, off-the-shoulder top made from chiffon with sleeves that extend past and cutely swallow up her hands. Her top is paired with an equally frilly, pastel blue skirt that ends close to the middle of her thighs (meaning its criminally short). The rest of her legs are pinched by thigh-high stockings with pink and white stripes, and perhaps the most striking part of her ensemble are her azure blue kitten heels.

**Exercise Clothing:**

Before exercising or doing her morning tai chi, Clara would redo her hair into either a high or low ponytail, based purely on her whims. She wears skin-tight, black yoga pants and a backless, bright pink tank top.

**Sleepwear:**

A plain, unbuttoned nightshirt and panties with pink and white stripes. In a most disconcerting manner, Clara frequently sleeps with her eyes wide open and lies completely motionless in bed.

**Accessories:**

When they're available, Clara likes to have freshly-cut flowers decorating her hair along with bisque-coloured ribbons. On special occasions, she'll wear a black lace choker around her dainty neck. Despite ostensibly being a fashion-conscious girl, this is the extent of her accessorizing.

* * *

**9\. ****Full Name:** Ezekiel King

**Creator:** Magus1108

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** March 22nd

**Nationality:** American

**Talent:** Supreme Mystery Novelist

**Sexuality:** Pansexual

**Blood Type:** B-

**Hair Color:** Strawberry blonde hair that reaches down to her mid-back.

**Hair Style/Length:** Her hair is styled into two hair-drill braids on either side of her head, for a total of four hair-drill braids that reach down to her back.

**Eye Color:** An almost sickly crimson red.

**Skin Tone:** Very pale, almost ivory in terms of skin tone. It's as if Ezekiel has seen very little sunlight in her day to day life.

**Body Type:** Ezekiel has a slim and thin figure, though not dangerously so. There is a small hint of musculature in her body, though one would have to remove all of her bulky clothes to be able to spot it. Ezekiel also has a rather impressive D-Cup sized bust.

**Scars, Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Ezekiel has a birthmark in the shape of a star over her left breast, the tip of which is just visible on her exposed skin.

**Height:** 5'11

**Weight:** 162

**Normal Clothing:** Ezekiel wears a lavish, almost Victorian style Gothic-Lolita black dress. The dress covers her entire body, exposing her neck and a hint of cleavage. Due to the length of the fabric, her dress also has a small train, or portion that trails on the floor/ground behind her. The dress itself is completely black, with silvery embroidery stitched onto the wrists, neckline, waist, and train of her dress. Beyond the dress, Ezekiel wears a pair of elbow-length fishnet gloves and a pair of pantyhose and a pair of crimson red high-heeled shoes.

There is also one more item Ezekiel wears, and it is perhaps her most striking choice of clothing. She wears a small mask that partially covers up her face. The mask itself hooks behind her ears, and covers up the upper portion of her face: mainly her eyes, nose, and forehead. The mask itself is whitish-silver in color, and has two tinted lenses over where it covers her eyes, allowing her to see out of the mask, but covering up her eyes in the process.

**Sleepwear:** In contrast to her elegant gothic dress, Ezekiel only wears a black thong to bed, forgoing any sort of top entirely, as she finds sleeping with a top annoying and irritating. Ezekiel does take her mask off when going to bed of course, but if she decides to venture out in her sleepwear, she will put her mask back on.

**Accessories:** Ezekiel carries a black handbag/purse with her at all times that carries the items she most often uses in her day. The items in her purse include a physical notebook and pen to take notes or write; a tablet she uses to do most of her actual book writing; a snub-nosed revolver and can of mace for personal defense; her smart phone; a few lipstick containers of black lipstick; and a Swiss Army knife, for both personal defense and varied use.

Ezekiel also has a black umbrella that she carries with her on a day to day basis, to shield herself from the sun.

* * *

**10\. ****Full Name:** Zalika Hajjar

**Creator:** 1Glimmershine

**Gender:** female

**Age:** 18

**Birthday:** 4/28

**Nationality:** Egyptian

**Talent:** Snake Charmer

**Sexuality:** Straight

**Blood Type:** B+

**Hair Color:** black

**Hairstyle/Length:** long with the fringe cut, styled with a long braided ponytail wrapped around a small bun, it then drapes over her left shoulder reaching down to her chest. along the ponytail there are silver and crimson small medals, and the end of the ponytail has a golden band encircling it. She also has two long blood red bangs styled to look like snakes hanging in front of her hair.

**Eye Color:** Yellow

**Skin Tone:** Sand

**Body Type:** Has a slender, hourglass body shape, and ample breasts

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** She has tattoos of three different types of snakes that wrap around her upper body, the snakes being a king cobra, boa, and corn snake. The snakes even look and feel scaly and match their normal colors. They are always in view due to what she wears.

**Height:** 5'8"

**Weight:** 167 lbs.

**Normal Clothing:** She's wearing a crimson and silver bedlah, embroidered with silver medals, jewelry, and rubies. It isn't a complete bedlah, as she isn't wearing the headpiece. She wears a crimson cape made of thin cotton, hooked together over her shoulders and across her chest by a silver cobra's head, it also has long loose sleeves with laced black fabric hanging off of them that almost look like wings when she extends her arms, and it hangs down to her ankles. She is also wearing crimson scarpin heels.

**Exercise Clothing:** blood red yoga pants and a sports bra.

**Sleepwear:** A crimson nightgown.

**Accessories:** large jade earrings, golden bracelets, and a necklace with a large replication of a serpent's eye as the pendant. She also keeps a bronze flute, that has snake decals, on her.

* * *

**11\. ****Full Name:** Alessia "Anchovy" Conti

**Creator: **Iron-Doughnut

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** 17

**Birthday:** 19 February

**Nationality:** Italian

**Talent:** Supreme Deep-Sea Diver

**Sexuality:** Heterosexual

**Blood Type:** B+

**Hair Color:** Alessia's chestnut brown hair has been sun bleached after long days on the open water. Her naturally brown hair is mixed with nearly blond highlighted streaks.

**Hair Style/Length:** The Italian woman's hair reaches only to her shoulders. Allesia is a practical woman and usually her hair is trapped in a bun atop her head. However, when relaxing, she lets her luscious and full locks hang free.

**Eye Color:** Alessia's eyes are beyond hazel, appearing more a faded, sand like colour.

**Skin Tone:** Alessia's natural Mediterranean olive skin is tanned a slightly darker shade.

**Body Type:** Alessia Conti is a woman who makes a living doing physical things. She is hard on her body, and as a result, it has grown strong. She is toned, with strong, clearly definable muscles and the outline of a six-pack.

She is lithe, with a swimmer's build and a modest bust. Alessia's strong personality seems engraved in her face. Her eyebrows are strong and dark. Her jaw is strong and sharp, more defined that that of the average woman, and her nose is small but sharp, cute yet distinctive.

**Scars,Tattoos or Birthmarks:** Alessia has a gnarly scar running from her wrist at the top of her hand, to near her elbow on her right arm.

The kraken's tentacles are tattooed intertwined around her right arm. Spiralling from her shoulder her wrist, the tattoo creates the impression of a monster of the deep constricting around her arm.

**Height:** 5'5 (165 cm)

**Weight:** 145 Ibs (66kg)

**Normal Clothing:**

On the average day, Alessia will wear a green tank top and knee length white shorts. She wears brown leather work boots and a brown leather belt and a red ribbon to tie her hair into a ponytail.

When working, Alessia will wear a full diving suit. This includes a navy blue wetsuit, goggles, breathing tank, gloves and flippers. Its uncomfortable to move in, and it looks goofy, but in the water, she moves like a fish.

**Exercise Clothing:** When exercising, Anchovy will wear green yoga shorts and a red skin-tight crop top with white trim.

**Sleepwear:** She sleeps in her underwear and a large, faded, oversized dark grey t-shirt with the word Italia printed on it in white.

**Accessories:** A tiny golden cross worn around her neck

* * *

**A/N: As you all know, Hope Hills Preparatoy Academy has been going through some changes, including some cut characters that are being placed in other stories or cut all together. It is a shame that these characters have to be cut out, but they no longer fit the narrative that this new AU is about. I'm trying to step away from the Supernatural stuff, but I know that I can't exactly yank it out, so I'm working around it. It matters not, as long as it's not an obvious supernatural talent or aspect, your character has likely stayed in. If not, they have likely been moved to other stories because they just fit better. So if you don't see your characters in this list, it's because they've been moved to other stories that haven't been announced.**

**You've probably noticed the open Male Slot. If you'd like to submit, please feel free to! One slot has been reserved for a friend, but there is one slot open. Please use the OC application on my profile if you'd like to submit, every character in this story must have a Delusion and an Audition tape. It is vital that they have this as they will be used in some way shape or form in the future. That's it for now. Oh yes, CHapters 1-3 have been taken down as they are going to be redited/rewritten entirely to fit the new narritive. I'm not sure when that will happen, but it wont be any time soon, sadly. I need to establish the AU firmly before I can work on HHPA, but I will try to update this on a monthly basis if possible until I can take the story on full time. Fow now that's all the news I have. Thanks again! I hope you look forward to what's to come!**


	2. Prologue 1: The Other Side

A New Despair: H.H.P.A.'s New Semester of Despair

Prologue 1: The Other Side

_**xxx**_

"_The Night Sky is a tapestry of shooting stars, each bearing a wish upon it...but what are those wishes?_

_People wish for money, people wish for love... Some wish to change the future, others the past. But, could you really call such absurd things wishes? What we call "Wishes" are...well...nothing more than delusions!_

_That's not to say one should feel guilty for indulging in them, of course. Each and every human, at their very core, is a being who dines on delusion...no, that's not quite right. Allow me to rephrase. Humans are the ONLY beings capable of self-delusion. In a way, that's a power, one granted exclusively to the human race._

_Delusions allow people to wallow in their most idealized, impossible dreams...free from reality. In fact, it can be said without a shred of hyperbole that this is man's single true joy. But humans, oh they are well aware that their delusions do not in anyway represent reality. And perhaps, that is the most tragic indictment one could make of reality. But that's precisely the reason delusions exist! The reason they serve the function they serve!_

_And yet...and yet..._

_What if a delusion were to suddenly become real? Could you think of anything more wonderful? That ladies and gentlemen is the reason I exist . Now, draw the curtain, indulge in a spectacular delusion that transcends your wildest dreams!"_

"Huh...? Is this...a dream?"

"_It can be whatever you want it to be! Is it a blissful delusion encroaching reality? Or is it merely reality perceived as a delusion? That is for you to decide. It is time for you to step into this wonderful reality, or is it a delusion? It all depends on you friend? So...how about we open the door together?"_

_**xxx**_

"But you can't leave the circus!"

The two girls jumped at his reaction, not expecting him to shout the way he did. He was their best friend, surely he could understand them the best. However, it seemed as if that wasn't the case. The shimmering lights around them were dimmed, as the others were preparing for the show to begin. The two girls were already in their stage outfits, ready for the inevitable part of the show where they could show off their talents.

"You don't understand Peter," the blonde performer said, taking a few wary steps toward the young man. She was very pretty, fair colored skin, long blonde hair tied in a side ponytail. She wore a tight fitting blue leotard with various markings around it, and a frilled outer skirt. Her smooth legs were covered by a thin cloth, showing off every single curve. "This isn't just any school, this is Hope's Peak Academy! It isn't every day that people get invited to join the alumni."

To his testament, Peter remained silent. Her blue eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions. Happiness, sadness, anger, maybe disappointment? He wasn't exactly sure. Even the sparkling shimmer of the lights couldn't tell him what he saw in her eyes. He looked away, not wanting to face her.

"I understand how you feel Peter, we've been best friends for the longest time." another voice piped up. It belonged to another girl, the circus's youngest lion tamer. She herself was decked out in her own show attire, sleeveless violet shirt with paw prints littered all over the cloth, a fluffy violet and black skirt, fishnet stockings and platform shoes. Her long violet hair was tied into twin tails, and nestled in the middle of her head was a pair of kitty ears. She knelt before the boy, taking his hands into her own. "You always told us to follow our dreams right? There are a million dreams out there, and in order for us to reach them, we need to go. It won't be forever, you know the circus is our family. Now and forever!"

"That isn't it." the young man said with a sigh. He brushed his hand through his hair, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. The two girls stood at either side of him, both of them frowning. He didn't bother looking at them, instead focusing on their reflections. "Things aren't going well in that area of the world. I'm not sure what the hell is going on, but there's a lot of rioting. It seems to be all centered around Hope's Peak Academy."

"You mean the Parade?" the blonde asked, earning a nod from the boy. She matched his look of worry with a smile, putting on a brave face. "It's just a bunch of rioters Peter, nothing to worry about! Besides, have we ever stopped doing shows because the conservationists boycott our performances?"

"Well no… but that isn't the point."

"Then what is?" the violet haired lion tamer asked firmly. "Sitting here, day after day, being told that you have talent and are squandering it? Don't you think it would be good for us? To earn a title so that we can become even more famous?"

"Kitty." the boy said, adopting an angry look. "I didn't peg you to be the one obssessed with a stupid piece of paper. Just because you get an Ultimate title doesn't mean jack. You are a circus girl! You always have and you always will."

"Oh yeah? Well maybe I don't want to be a circus girl forever! Maybe I want to do something with my life, you ever think of that?" she shouted, making him cringe. She spun around on her heel, grabbing a hold of her whip. "I love you Peter, I do. But even I need a break from "The Greatest Show on Earth." I hope you can understand that by the time we need to leave."

With that, Kitty left the dressing tent, heading toward the main stage. Peter remained silent, not exactly knowing what to say, or what to do. Miyaki was quickly at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. She gave him a smile.

"It'll be okay. You know how headstrong Kitty is. She almost lost her leg at a young age because she wanted to be like her mother after all."

"I know that but… I feel like an ass. Here I am, basically forcing you two to stay here, instead of letting you nurture your dreams. No wonder dad doesn't trust me with the circus." he said, pulling out of the hug. He moved over to the empty mannequin, the one that held his father's Showman attire, which was currently blank. "The Greatest Show on Earth clearly deserves a better showman."

"You know… maybe you could petition to Hope's Peak Academy. If they think you have talent, they might accept you. Imagine you introducing yourself as the Ultimate Showman. You have the skills, and the training. You've run through this entire show during practice runs. You have what it takes!" the circus performer said. Peter sighed, turning to face his best friend.

"But I haven't done a live performance! Surely they'll call me out on that. Even Veronica has done her routine, Veronica! Who only does her rabbit segment and runs out of the tent like a bat out of hell. I think my father sees more talent in her than he ever did in me." he snapped angrily, clenching his fist. "If my mother were here-"

"Francheska wouldn't want you to be hung up on this Peter. She would want you to smile and be happy. You know how much she loved this place."

"You're… you're right." he mumbled, bowing his head. He controlled his breathing a bit, hoping that his emotions would remain in check. He felt a hand on his face, making him look up. Miyaki gave him a smile, causing him to hug the girl tightly. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Peter. You're my friend, and you are just worried for us."

"I feel stupid." Peter said, pulling out of the hug. He placed his hands on the girl's shoulders, giving her a grin. "If you wanna go to Hope's Peak Academy, then go. Make your dreams come true! There are a million dreams swirling around that pretty head of yours, and you deserve to make each and every one of them come true! I believe in you!"

"Miyaki, you are up!" one of the stage hands said. She gave him a nod, mentally preparing herself.

"There's something I need to tell you Peter, but it'll wait until after. I hope you enjoy the show, then again you always do." she said. Feeling a bit bold, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Before he could react, she was gone. He let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"Oh you. I have full confidence that you'll become an Ultimate Circus Performer in no time! Let's go watch this show!"

* * *

The crowd was cheering loudly, being drowned out by the sound of clopping hooves and trumpets. Torches served as the primary light source, giving the area a dimmed yet warm glow. The main staged dubbed 'the rings' were booming with life, as performers of all shapes and sizes went through their routines. There were seven women dressed in leotards, racing around in circles on white stallions, standing on the stirrups as they picked up speed. In the center of the rings, three elephants were balancing on thick wooden platforms, while some acrobats were flipping through the air, juggling flaming pins. In the center of it all was a cheerful man, dressed in bright red, wearing a top hat, with a decorative cane in his hands. Smoke billowed around him as he spun around, a grin on his face.

"_Colossal we come these renegades in the ring!_

_Where the lost gets found in the crown of the circus king!_

_Don't fight it it's coming for you, running at ya_

_It's only this moment, don't care what comes after!_

_It's blinding outshining anything that you know_

_Just surrender cause it's coming and you wanna go!_

_Where it's covered in all the colored lights!_

_Where the runaways are running the night_

_Impossible comes true, intoxicating you_

_Oh! This is the Greatest Show!"_

The man jumped onto the edge of the ring, as a violet haired girl led two lines forward, both jumping through flaming rings. They roared loudly, surprising the kids on the front row. The young girl gave them a wink, throwing a smoke ball into the air. It exploded into a thick violet mist, and from it burst a bengal tiger, roaring far louder than the lions ever did.

"_We light it up, we won't come down_

_And the sun can't stop us now!_

_Watching it come true! _

_It's taking over you!_

_This is the Greatest Show!"_

The violet haired girl moved out of the way, in time for a group of acrobatics to come racing in, doing various flips through the air. The leader was a young blonde, who was dressed in a tight fitting blue leotard, and was carrying various objects in her arms. She threw one of the pins into the air, being caught by the acrobats that were swinging on ropes high above them. Once she had thrown them all up, another man scooped her into his arms, throwing her into the air. She flipped through it with ease, catching the pins that had been thrown at her. She spun through the air, as the pins burst into a thick smoke, covering the stage.

In came several men and women, all of them trailing long ribbons with them. They began whipping them about, slicing through the pink smoke with ease. Trailing behind them was a pink haired beauty, holding a pair of fancy fans in her hands, as she danced around, allowing the ribbons to twist and wrap around her body. She swung them around, controlling them with ease, making her look mesmerizing.

"_It's everything you'd ever want_

_It's everything you'd ever need_

_And it's right here in front of you_

_This is where you want to be!_

_It's everything you'd ever want_

_It's everything you'd ever need_

_And it's right here in front of you_

_This is where you want to be!_

_This is the Greatest Show!"_

From the sidelines, a young man stood, a smile on his face as he watched the show. He was dressed in an outfit, similar to his own father. He was wearing a crimson red suit, with glittering sequins attached to it, the lapels being black in color. It was lined with golden thread, two matching tails trailing down past his waist. He was wearing a black vest, with thick golden embroidery crossing over his chest. He wore a pair of matching black slacks, and knee high leather pirate boots. He wore a pair of white gloves on his hands, both being shoved in his pockets as he leaned back against the support column.

Beside him stood a girl, a year younger than him and quite a bit shorter. She had long, silvery blonde hair that reached down past her waist, sticking out in wisps at the sides. She was wearing a tight fitting dress, which had see-through puffy sleeves. It had golden trimming around the abdomen, leaving the center of her chest and her navel exposed, covered by a see-through white cloth. She was wearing a matching frilled skirt with a crimson red petticoat, long white stockings and golden boots. Two red and gold tails hung past her waist, matching the style of the young man's coat. She had a small smile on her face, being entranced by the acrobats and their gravity defying tricks.

The ringmaster spared a glance at the two, as the show went on. The others continued singing, while performing various tricks for the crowd. He grabbed a hold of his hat, looking at it briefly before making his choice. He ran clear of the ring, heading towards the backstage area, where the two teenagers were standing. He gave the young man a smile, holding his hat out.

"Son, this is for you." he said, earning a wide eyed look from the boy. He shakily reached for the hat, looking it over. It was a beautiful hat, a black felt, top hat with a golden ribbon right around the brim. There were golden gears attached to the sides, as well as clock faces embroidered into the felt. The very center of it featured a working watch, which showed the time correctly. He swallowed hard, looking up at his father, as he placed the hat on his head.

"What will you be doing?"

"Watching my son lead this circus into the future." he said, tossing the cane at him, which he easily grabbed. "You've earned it."

"But… are you sure?"

"I am… the show must go on." the man said, pulling the brim of the hat down slightly. The boy turned to his sister, who silently gestured for him to go. The smile on his face grew as he broke into a sprint, racing into the ring. He slid across the ground on his knees, jumping to his feet.

"This is the Greatest Show!"

He took a breath, about to continue the song when he smelled something in the air. It was smoke. He looked around, wondering if his friends had thrown more smoke balls in the tent. The others were looking at him, wondering if he had missed his cue due to stage fright. Despite him having practiced the song extensively.

Everything started to melt and merge together, as flames erupted from the back of the tent. They licked and lapped at the tent, engulfing it in its entirety. People started screaming and running, as the whole tent started to fill with smoke. He backed up, avoiding one of the horses which had gotten spooked by the loud noises. The elephants were on their hind legs, freaked out from the smoke. Acrobats and performers were trying to keep calm, but were rapidly losing their cool. He heard a scream as one of the metal spans that held the tent together broke apart, falling down on one of the performers. The scene before him was nothing short of chaos.

"Peter!"

"Huh… Miyaki?"

"Peter!"

"Everything will be alright, just keep your cool Kitty. Everything is going to be alright!"

"PETER!"

_**xxx**_

The man let out a cry of surprise, as he felt someone pinching his cheek rather hard. He blinked a few times, realizing what was going on. His eyes locked on his assailant, a crimson eyed, silvery-blonde young woman.

"Honestly Peter, I can't take you anywhere can I?" she said softly, retaking her seat. It was only then that her realized he wasn't inside a building, rather he was sitting outside at a cafe.

"I'm sorry." he said softly, rubbing his eyes. He glanced down at his hand, seeing the autographed Michael Jackson glove that he always wore. A few of the jewels had fallen off, but it was still a practical object, one that he couldn't part with. "I'm just… really tired,"

"You are always tried." she said, poking at her straw with her finger tip. She glanced around for a few moments, taking in the ambiance. "I gotta say though, Versailles is a beautiful city. I can't believe we're in France! We are still going to the Riviera right?"

"Yes Veronica, we are still going there." the man said with a sigh, leaning back against his seat. He crossed his arms, watching the cars slowly passing by. "Honestly… I just want to get this over with. Should I get my title, I'll start getting recognition. Then we can rebuild our home."

Veronica sighed, taking a gulp from her milkshake, swirling her heart shaped crazy straw around. She looked at the bottom of the glass, frowning when all of the cookie crumbs and pretzels were stuck at the bottom. "If you want my honest opinion, I think it's bullshit that you even need that title. The name Burnett is recognizable all over the world. What the hell do you need some fancy pants title for?"

"Because Veronica! In this world you don't get far without talent!" the man said shooting to his feet. He grabbed a hold of his cane, flipping it around his hand before tapping the ground with it. He tipped his hat slightly. "Without a title you don't get far! We used to get recognition by name alone when dad was running the show. But now… now we're just… you and me."

"You don't have to keep reminding me." Veronica mumbled, setting her glass down. "Our family is dead… the survivors of that fire, scattered to the winds. Miyaki? Dead. Kitty? Who knows."

"Don't." he paused, looking away from his sister. He stared into the distance, grabbing a hold of his hat taking a deep breath. "Miyaki was a kind soul… even now when I think of her I-"

The young woman frowned, shaking her head. Whenever Peter heard her name, he always got like that. She knew he had been in love with the blonde performer. She had stolen his heart the moment the two of them had met as children. But he had never worked up the courage to tell her. Finally, the day came where Kitty had given him the kick in the ass to actually do it. That was the day the Tragedy began, and it was the last time he had seen Miyaki alive. She forced the memories away, not wanting to remember the Tranquility Killing Game, where her best friend had perished at the hands of a psychopath.

"It doesn't matter now... " he continued, straightening up. "We need to focus on finding Kitty… her mother Katerina is getting worried. It isn't like her to not answer phone calls, especially not from me."

"She marches to the beat of her own drum. The last time I spoke with her, she was in Africa helping tame some lions. That's probably where she is, or she's in Florida playing with bobcats."

"Huh?" the man asked, in a sarcastic tone. "Katherine Roberts playing with _bobcats_? Ha… she'd probably get more enjoyment scrubbing a homeless man's asscrack!"

"It was a joke fuckhead. You didn't have to hit me with the sarcasm," the red eyed woman spat, placing several bills on the table. "Come on, you'll be late if we don't leave soon."

The man nodded, following his sister as she took the lead. The city of Versailles was beaming with life and pride. They had just celebrated the graduation of the latest class in Versailles Academy. 22 Elite students had left the academy and were ready to be integrated into society. And with them leaving, came the time to welcome the new class. Students were being accepted from various parts of the globe, some having already showed up to take a view at the campus. Peter himself had been lucky enough to receive an invitation, which was why he was there in the first place.

The school itself was run in the Palace of Versailles, one of the few remaining places in France, not disturbed by Ultimate Despair. They had come out from the Tragedy harmed, but not destroyed. And now, the headmistress was using her knowledge and wealth to spread hope across the world. Only the best of the best came to this school. It was why Peter had applied here… if he had been recognized as an Elite Showman, then his name alone could inspire people to come see his show. Not just that, investors could probably take him seriously as well.

"Wow… look at that!" Veronica said, pointing to the nearby hedges, which had been trimmed very neatly. They were in the shape of people, though Peter wasn't knowledgeable enough to know who.

"Those are nice… now imagine if you had someone swinging a chainsaw around, while balancing a flaming pin on a stick from their nose."

"Peter, you're doing it again!"

"Doing what again?" the man asked, an incredulous look on his face. "Proposing routines?"

"Being a jackass… do you know how dangerous swinging a chainsaw around is?" the girl replied, shaking her head. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you use your brain."

"I could say the same about you miss "I want my own bunny show"." he sneered, earning a glare from the girl. He loosened his neckerchief, his gaze shifting back towards the front gates of Versailles. He took a few steps forward, only for two guards to holding their arms up.

"Halt, what business do you have here?"

"Uh… I got invited here. I'm a new student." Peter said, tilting his head. "Oh… those outfits are so cool… let me guess, you guys are dressed like Imperial Guards! Are those spears sharp? Are they real?" he asked curiously, as he looked at the two men. They were partially dressed in armor, and holding deadly looking spears. Though it was only for tradition.

"Big brother… the letter." Veronica hissed, while keeping her dainty smile. Peter rolled his eyes, reaching into his vest pocket for the letter. He held it out to the guards, who looked it over.

"See… this is my official invitation letter. You two gents are looking at the future Elite Showman! That means I'll be able to study here, and when I graduate, I got a bit of a business venture for ya. How would you like to travel the world? Shimmering lights, showbiz, all the popcorn you could ever eat? Come on… it's a good deal!"

"Oh look at that… he's got a red seal on his letter." one of the guards said, chuckling.

"This will be interesting. Go right ahead, sir, you are free to explore the grounds as much as you'd like. However, we advise you to speak with Headmistress Cerise Avalon. And do so immediately so you can get this problem sorted out,"

"Problem?" Peter asked curiously. He shrugged, tucking the letter into his pocket. "Whatever the case may be, it was a pleasure meeting you fine gents. Let's go sis, the future awaits us!"

_**xxx**_

"Rejected…what do you mean rejected?" Peter cried, eyes widened in surprise. He was sitting before the headmistress of Versailles Academy, a beautiful woman, who looked as if she were in her mid-twenties, despite having a child of her own. She placed her folded hands on the desk, giving him a frown.

"Mr. Burnett, we've reviewed your file extensively. You grew up in a traveling circus, where you welcomed oddities from the world. You brought in refugees, and provided aid to areas that needed it. Your father used the profits from the circus to fix up the homes of low-income areas and helped to heal poverty during the tragedy. However, that was your father… you on the other hand are… _lacking _for a lack of a better term."

"Lacking in what exactly?" Veronica asked, quirking a brow as she crossed her arms. "My brother has been busting his ass for years. He's lead our troupe when father was ill. Even though he had one chance to lead, he was prepared to take the reigns, had it not been for that fire. He can do a great many things!"

"I'm certain that he can, Ms. Burnett." Cerise said, sighing. "However, just because he can do things doesn't mean he has what it takes to be an Elite. You need much more than talent in order to succeed in Versailles Academy."

"You need money… is that what you are getting at?" the showman asked, frowning. "We don't have any assets. The only assets that we have left, are my grandparent's cabin in Maine and what's left of our family home in Bristol. We have to survive by doing passing acts on the street, wearing nothing but the clothes on our backs and what little else we have."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Burnett, truly I am. But you do not meet our qualifications to become an Elite student… you have however, been invited here. So I do recommend you use the facilities while classes are out for the summer. You may interact with incoming students as well… perhaps you may make friends who may help you out."

"Why the fuck would I bother?" the man spat bitterly, forcing himself to stand up. "We scrounged up what little we had to come to France. The United States is in shambles because of Ultimate Despair. People have died all over the country. New York City was practically leveled, Los Angeles? It's gone and don't even get me started on what happened when Operation "Blue Eagle" was carried out over the east coast."

"We put everything on the line by coming here." Veronica said, sniffling. "We want to bring our circus back! We want a place to belong… to recover what we lost, our family. Don't you see? That Elite title is what he needs to get that done… if he has recognition from Versailles Academy, then we can rebuild our lives."

The look on Cerise's face hardened, as she pondered their words. She remained silent for a few pregnant moments, before uttering a sigh. She shook her head, reaching for a stamp, pressing it on an ink pad. "I apologize… but my decision is final." she said, slamming it onto the paper. When she peeled it back, the word "Rejected" could be seen on Peter's application. "As I said before… feel free to use our services for the week. I'll arrange for you to stay in our dorms until you can return to the United States."

Peter grit his teeth as he grabbed a hold of his hat, placing it on his head. He tugged on its brim, until it was firmly placed on his head. "No thanks… I would rather not stay in a place where my talents would be squandered. Come along Veronica, we've got better things to do."

"You know… hanging onto the past isn't healthy. You are only deluding yourself into a false sense of security. You wish to bring your circus back, but perhaps it is time to let it rest. No amount of talent is going to bring your family back. No amount of money is going to bring Miyaki Hanao back… you should face reality head on, and build a better future."

"With all due respect madam, I'm not one to give up on my dreams. Just because I wasn't accepted into your 'prestigious' academy, doesn't mean there isn't a place for me. I've got a million dreams, and I'm going to make them real. The show must go on, and I won't stop until Burnett's circus becomes the Greatest Show on Earth." he said, giving the woman a bow. He flipped his cane around in his hand, and started walking towards the door.

"The only way for us to build a better future is to achieve our dreams. I'm glad you won't be a part of it… I'm sure you would have turned my brother into a stuffy asshole anyway," Veronica said with a shrug, as she followed alongside her brother. The two left the office, leaving the headmistress to her own devices.

_**xxx**_

"That was a load of horse shit." Peter mumbled, as he continued walking down the stairs. Veronica followed suit, her heeled boots clacking loudly against the marble steps.

"I told you, you don't need some title to make your dreams come true! Big brother, that is not the foundation of our circus. Burnett's had existed for 145 years, I know the last 3 have been rough but you have to keep going. Remember what our great grandpa Phineas once said."

"The noblest art is that of making one happy." he said softly.

"Exactly! That means we have to work together to make each other happy. We have to prioritize our happiness first. Because if we aren't happy, then our show isn't going to be happy. Even through the darkest times, our father would smile. Even after our mother died… he was there, smiling for us." Veronica said firmly, as they continued walking. "Who cares about this stupid school? Who gives a shit about these stupid preppy fucks anyway?"

Peter's face hardened as a few of the new students glared at him. He noticed one red haired young woman glaring directly into his soul. "Uh sis… maybe you should tone it down a bit."

"Why? Are you scared? Are you scared that these rich asshats are gonna do something? I welcome them to! FUCK VERSAILLES! This school can eat my taint!"

"_For fuck sakes." _Peter thought, as he grabbed a hold of Veronica's wrist, pulling her along. He bowed his head slightly, using the brim of his hat to hide his embarrassment. He stepped out of the building, back down the stairs that lead toward the exit.

"Hey… how was it?" one of the guards called out, chuckling. "Am I still going to be a part of your circus?"

"Hey buddy, why don't you keep your mouth shut eh? Just let us walk out of here with our dignity." the showman said, glaring back at them. The other guard chuckled.

"Dignity? I didn't think circus folks had dignity. Hey, if you guys are part of the circus, does that mean one of you has an extra toe?"

"Oh does the girl have a third tit? Nah wait…. She's pretty flat, where would she hide it?"

"Chupa mi verga, puto." Veronica spat in Spanish, causing the two men to burst into laughter. Peter sighed, continuing his walk of shame.

"You know… it's a shame that you aren't an Elite. I was considering joining your circus. Maybe I could blow up some balloons and make some animals out of them. Oh… even better, I could get in touch with the Bearded Lady and have her sing me a song!"

"I'm sure the bearded lady is their mother… these two look like they would come out of one of those."

"What… what did you just say?" Peter asked, as he forced himself to stop. He glared over his shoulder, causing the two men to stop. "Would you repeat that last line? I don't think I heard you."

"Hey man look… we crossed the line alright? We apologize." the man said. Peter tightened his grip on his cane, flicking his wrist as he twisted the handle. Veronica grabbed his hands tightly.

"Don't! Let's just get out of here.. These fucks don't deserve our presence and neither does this school. We're gonna bury them alright… we're gonna bury them under the splendor of our shining lights." she said, sniffling.

"You're right… let's get out of here."

As the two walked out of the academy, they ended up passing by a pair of ladies, who had returned from their afternoon tea. One of them was dressed in a beautiful blue cocktail dress that framed her hourglass figure perfectly. She was accompanied by her pink clad friend, who held a parasol tightly in her grasp, shielding herself from the sun.

"Everything will be alright Veronica, no use crying over spilled milk."

"It isn't that… it's the fact that they made fun of our mom like that… she was such a nice person… and those fucks just had to insult her!" she cried, all but bursting into tears. Peter frowned, reaching into his pocket for a spare handkerchief. He wiped away her tears, a grin on his face.

"Depression is a little bit like happy hour, right?" he sung, poking her nose with the tip of his finger. She glared at him, giving him a pout. He chuckled, as he continued singing.

"_So, it's gotta be happening somewhere on any given night_

_Oh nostalgia, I don't need you anymore_

_I just hope my, perfect stranger, that my kids look more like yours_

_'Cause they might try to tell you how you can live your life_

_But don't, don't forget it's your right_

_To do whatever you like, you like_

_'Cause you could be your own spotlight _

_You could be your own spotlight _

_You could be the star, you can shine so bright_

_You could be your own spotlight"_

"Hehe… you always know just what to sing to make me feel better." Veronica said, hugging her brother tightly.

"Hey, I'm your older brother, that's par for the course right?" he said, ruffling her hair. "Come on, let's get outta here. There's an ice cream sundae down the street with your name on it."

"Are you sure? We don't have that much money," she said, frowning. He gave her a nod, taking his hat off of his head. He gently placed it on her own, tipping it back a bit.

"We have plenty of money to splurge sweetheart. Were in fuck mothering France, if we aren't gonna enjoy ourselves then why the hell are we even here?" he asked, jokingly. He rested his cane on his shoulder, as he started skipping down the street. "Come on sis, let's a go!"

"Ugh… you are such an ass." she said, facepalming. Despite that, she was grinning like a school-girl. The two disappeared down the street, leaving behind a rather intrigued young woman.

"Heavens dear… you seem to have garnered an interest for that boy." the girl in pink said. She held back a laugh, covering her lips with a gloved hand. "Oh, could it be that you fancy him?"

"Que?" the blue clad woman cried back, jaw dropping in surprise. "Oh hell no… why would I even grow smitten with a person like him?"

"Ohohoho! You totally are… look at that, Katalina you have quite a cute flush on your cheeks,"

"Hey, I ain't ever slapped a duchess before. So unless you want your friend to break several international laws, you'll close your damn mouth."

"I'm just teasing you dear, nothing wrong with that. Besides, you've been doing the same with me and Rowan. Let us go… I'm certain he's already clamoring for my attention." the blonde woman said, hearing back towards the school.

"Nah… I'm sure he's clamoring for something else. Maybe he wants to tap that ass tonight." the woman said, sneering.

"Dear me… I didn't think you'd actually say that to me. How terribly uncouth!"

"I'm just messing with you Maribelle. Come on… you do it all the time, may as well do it to you too!" Katalina said, holding back a laugh. She flicked her fan open, fanning herself slightly. Despite the joy written on her face, she couldn't help but think back on the two teenagers she had just witnessed.

_**xxx**_

"Hey sis, do you think I'm deluding myself?" Peter asked, causing the young girl to look up from her sundae. Her mouth was covered in copious amounts of melted fudge and vanilla ice cream. He rolled his eyes, gesturing for the napkins. "Do you truly think we can raise the circus back from the ashes?"

"Are you seriously asking me this question? After what just happened at Versailles?" she asked, leaning back in her chair. "Honestly Peter, this is the only thing that bothers me about you. You always second guess yourself. You wanna be the Greatest Showman and yet here you are, thinking that you don't have what it takes."

"It isn't like that!" he exclaimed, causing a few patrons to look at him. He sighed, resting his elbows against the bar. The two of them had gone to a more traditional ice cream parlor, with a bar and several 50s style booths. It was quite serene, and had offered him the time he needed to think about things.

"Then what is it? Because you clearly seem to be having doubts about something. Is it-" she gasped, letting her spoon clatter into her dish. She placed a hand against her forehead. "-Is it because… your little sister isn't sexy enough to waltz around in spandex?"

"WHAT?"

"Pfft… that reaction is fantastic." she said, snapping a picture. "I wish Facebook was still a thing, I would have loved to post this there."

"I swear to god… what is it with girls busting my balls. First it was Miyaki, then it was Kitty, Olivia pretty much lives for it." he mumbled, grabbing a hold of his rootbeer. He drank it in one gulp, setting the mug down.

"It's just an easy thing to do. Especially when you start to second guess yourself," the girl said, finishing her ice cream. "You spouted a lot of bullshit back there, so keep to it at least. We're gonna be just fine alright?"

"I know that it's just…" he sighed, frowning. "We've got no money, no routines. Just parlor tricks and optical illusions that can't even pass off as magic. Do you think people will actually come see us?"

"Of course! Who the hell said we needed a tent in order to do a show? Remember our great grandfather? He started Burnett's inside of a building. So there's no need to worry about it. Besides, the faster we get our circus up and running, the faster we can take out that other circus." she said jokingly. Peter shuddered, remembering the young woman he had met, claiming to be an Ultimate Ringmaster.

He was about to speak when the doors to the establishment opened. And in walked two of the finest ladies he had ever seen in his life. They wasted no time in finding a booth, one of the waiters going over to serve them. Veronica followed his gaze, eyes focusing on the two girls that had sat down near the end of the bar. "Hey… those two girls look familiar… have we seen them before?"

"I've seen them a few times in town. Looks like they're locals… rather, they're students of Versailles." he mumbled. He tapped on the bar, signaling the bartender to pull out a bottle of alcohol. Despite it being an ice cream parlor, this place did also double as an actual bar. He pulled the top off, pouring himself a shot. Veronica looked at him oddly.

"You know, just because the drinking age here is lower than in America, it doesn't mean you have to get plastered."

"I need to loosen up a bit, that's all."

"Loosen up? What the hell are you planning?" she asked, earning a smirk from the boy. He took another shot, sighing contently as the alcohol washed down his throat. He tugged on his suit, putting on the most charming smile he could muster.

Now, Peter wasn't one to call himself drop dead gorgeous, but he was quite the looker. He stood at impressive six feet, two inches. Veronica herself was rather small in size, being only five foot three, so he easily towered over her. He had medium length black hair, slicked back with gel, and usually hidden by his top hat. He had fair colored skin, and dark brown eyes. He was clean shaven, and had a small scar across his cheek, but he wasn't too bothered by it. Due to his life in the circus, he was also pretty lean and muscular, though that was very well hidden by his outfit.

"Oh of course dear, I'm certain you'll love this play. It was rated 5 stars by the Countess of Rothes, and believe me, she is quite credible. She is a far better official than the Earl of Grantham, that's for sure."

"I dunno Mari… I'm just not into opera. I will admit, Les Miserable was fantastic, I loved all of the songs but. Traditional Opera isn't something that I'd go out of my way to see," the blue glad beauty replied, causing her friend to giggle.

"I'll turn you into a dignified lover of Opera if it's the last thing I do. As my best friend, you must be able to enjoy the fine arts. And I don't mean going out and buying half of the Louvre either," the blonde said, earning a sigh from her friend.

"Okay, first off nena, that was a joke. I didn't think the curator would actually go for it, and second, that Mona Lisa they had on display was a fake. It was the worst waste of money in my entire life. Then again, I don't particularly care for-" she paused, having heard footsteps behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, tilting her head slightly when she noticed Peter standing behind her.

"Good day ladies."

"May I help you?" the woman asked curiously, giving him a once over. "Wait… have we met before?"

"Perhaps… I do street performances from time to time. I certainly do remember seeing you and your lovely friend a few times." he said, giving her a smile. The blonde set her teacup down on her saucer, dabbing at her lips.

"I recall seeing you, quite recently in fact. You stormed out of Versailles Academy earlier today. If I recall correctly, you are also the one who called us and I quote "Stupid Preppy Fucks". Suffice it to say, you left a lasting impression in this stupid preppy fuck," the blonde woman said firmly, glaring at him. "Ignore him dear, people like us shouldn't congregate with the lowborn class anyway."

"This is the shit that makes me want to slap you Maribelle, honestly," her friend said, shaking her head. She shifted her gaze towards Peter, frowning. "However, she does make a point. I don't think I could talk to someone like you."

"Okay first off, I wasn't the one that called you all Stupid Preppy Fucks, the supreme honors goes to that little shitstain right there." he said, jabbing his thumb at Veronica.

"Hello!" she cried cheerfully.

"Second, the only reason I've come to speak with you lovely ladies is because well… I have a proposition for you." he said. Maribelle quirked a brow, leaning back in her seat.

"You are joking." she said, causing the man to shake his head. A smile decorated her lips, her amusement quite visible. "This will be good."

"You see… I happen to be a dreamer." the man began, taking a step away from the booth. "My family is well known across the globe. We were once responsible for bringing "The Greatest Show on Earth" to every man woman and child on the planet! Yes, it was an illustrious career, but it was also our home. A place where misfits could gather, and could be accepted." he said firmly, turning away from the two.

"Alas it… didn't last long. My father was growing sick… he knew one day he had to give the reins to someone. My mother passed away when I was younger… I grew up having to take care of my sister, and traveling around made it hard to settle down for long periods of time. The circus is all we know… I'm afraid fitting in society is a challenge for us both. The fire… it took everything away from us… it was why I applied to Versailles in the first place." he finished, pulling on his glove slightly, as he rubbed his hand through it.

"As sad as this story is, you are telling me this because?"

"Katalina don't pay much attention to him. This is probably a sap story that he crafted to hook his listeners in. He's just a vagrant, a street performer with delusions of grandeur." Maribelle snapped, holding her hand up. "Check please."

"Delusions of grandeur you say?" Peter mumbled, chuckling. "Yeah… I guess I am. I'm struggling to move past my own inhibitions about this whole thing. I was given the role of Showman by my father. He trusted me to keep this circus going. Only 10 of us survived that fire, what's left of my family is scattered to the winds… I've got nothing left."

"Peter, I honestly don't know why you are bothering with these two… these are the kinds of people that look down on you." Veronica said firmly. She sighed, shaking her head. "God, are you sure you aren't bipolar? You change moods more than I change panties."

"Heavens, what an uncouth little girl!"

"Excuse me? I am not little! Not everyone can have huge tits like you bitch!" the younger girl spat angrily.

"What is your proposition?" Katalina asked, quirking a brow. "Well come on, spit it out… you roped me in with this story, may as well tell me what you want."

"I see… well uh… miss?"

"Katalina."

"Right… Miss Katalina, all I want from you is an investment. 5 million dollars is all I require… as an upstart to bring my show back. Not only that but you'll get to bare witness to a show so great, it'll blow your mind!" the man said, quite enthusiastically. Katalina crossed her arms, cocking her head slightly.

"Seems like a waste of five million dollars to me."

"Yet you sit here, discussing the topic of opera and plays, something which you clearly detest. Why sit in an uncomfortable seat for 3 hours of your night, watching men and women singing unintelligible words, when you can spend them enjoying yourself?" Peter said, a smile on his face.

"Clearly, you do not understand fine art." Maribelle said, handing her credit card to the waiter. Peter grabbed a hold of it, flipping it through his fingers for a moment before swapping it with his own. He handed Maribelle her card back, much to her surprise.

"Ah but you failed to mention the fact that you were at one of my shows recently. Sure it was at small scale, not nearly as much as I could want. But you were mighty entertained, why… I remember the smile on your face. The look of wonder in that glimmering azure eye of yours." he said, causing the dark-skinned woman to flush. "You don't even want to admit it to your friend here, do you?"

"Tch… enough of this. Maribelle you are right, this man just wants money, and I don't have a need to waste it. Thanks for covering the tab sir, but I've got places to be at the moment."

"I can see it in your eye Miss Katalina. There is a piece of you that yearns to be free, a piece of you wants excitement. Something happened in your past, that caused you to put walls around your heart. You are hurt… and I can help you… by helping me, I can deliver smiles to countless men, women and children, all over the world. Kids that could use a smile… people like you."

"That's enough. Don't pretend that you know me… you don't know me at all!" Katalina snapped, grabbing a hold of her scarf, placing it around her shoulders. "Thank you once again for covering our tab. Let's go Maribelle."

"Consider it for a moment… by accepting my offer, you'll be a free woman." Peter said, causing her to stop. He cleared his throat, reaching into his pocket for a coin, which he flicked at the nearby Jukebox. It slipped into the slot with precision, much to the surprise of the patrons. Veronica sighed, shaking her head. She already knew what was going to happen, so she remained silent, deciding to instead keep watching.

"Right here, right now I put the offer out

I don't want to chase you down, I know you see it-" he sung, tapping her nose with his fingertip, much to her annoyance. He chuckled, turning away from her.

"You run, with me and I can cut you free

Out of the drudgery and walls you keep in."

He tapped the bar, causing the bartender to slide him a bottle of alcohol, which he uncorked, pouring two shots out, gesturing for Katalina to take one.

"So trade that typical, for something colorful

And if it's crazy, live a little crazy

You can play it sensible

A queen of the conventional

Or you could risk it all and see." he said, placing his hat atop his head, tilting it forward. Katalina stood, arms crossed as he turned to face her, a grin on his face.

"Don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play

'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride

It'll take you to the other side

'Cause you can do like you do

Or you can do like me

Stay in the cage, or you'll finally take the key

Oh, damn! Suddenly you're free to fly

It'll take you to the other side-"

Katalina smirked, downing the shot he had poured out for her, setting the glass down on the bar. She pulled her scarf from her neck, tossing it back on her seat.

"Okay, my friend, you want to cut me in

Well I hate to tell you, but it just won't happen

So thanks, but no

I think I'm good to go

'Cause I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in

Now I admire you, and that whole show you do

You're onto something, really it's something

But I live among the swells, and we don't pick up peanut shells

I'll have to leave that up to you-"

She brushed her hand free of the peanut shells she had scooped up, making the man chuckle as she turned her back to him, slipping her scarf back around her neck.

Don't you know that I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play

'Cause I got what I need and I don't want to take the ride

I don't need to see the other side

So go and do like you do

I'm good to do like me

Ain't in a cage, so I don't need to take the key

Oh, damn! Can't you see I'm doing fine

I don't need to see the other side."

Peter grabbed a hold of two shot glasses, cutting the woman off as she reached the door, holding one out to her.

"Now is this really how you like to spend your days?

Whiskey and misery, and parties and plays."

"If I were mixed up with you, I'd be the talk of the town

Disgraced and disowned, another one of the clowns."

"But you would finally live a little, finally laugh a little

Just let me give you the freedom to dream

And it'll wake you up and cure your aching

Take your walls and start 'em breaking

Now that's a deal that seems worth taking

But I guess I'll leave that up to you."

Katalina paused for a moment, pondering his words as she stared longingly at the door. Maribelle stood before her, an incredulous look on her face.

"You aren't seriously thinking about this are you? Come on Kat… he's playing you like a fiddle! And when the hell did you learn how to sing?!" she exclaimed. Kat rolled her eyes, tilting her head slightly as she continued thinking. She spun on her heel, her face shifting to a look of curiosity.

"Well it's intriguing, but to go would cost me greatly

So what percentage of the show would I be taking?" she queried, causing Peter to roll his eyes, resting his elbow on the bar.

"Fair enough, you'd want a piece of all the action

I'd give you seven, we could shake and make it happen." he replied, causing her to scoff, a wide eyed look on her face.

"I wasn't born this morning, eighteen would be just fine!"

"Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime?"

"Fifteen!"

"I'd do eight." he casually replied.

"Twelve!" Katalina demanded, making him smirk, shrugging.

"Maybe nine?"

"Ten." the woman said, holding her gloved hand out. Peter looked at it for a brief second, grabbing a hold of the whiskey bottle, pouring himself another drink. The bartender took a hold of the shot glass, holding his hand out for payment.

"Oh uh…" he started looking through his pockets, realizing he still hadn't gotten his credit card back. Katalina unfurled her fan, fanning herself as she reached for her bra with her other hand, pulling out a decorative credit card.

"It seems to me like you've got yourself a junior partner."

"Eh… more like an overcompensated apprentice." Peter replied, giving her a cheeky grin. He held his hand out, taking her hand into his own grasp, giving it a shake. He spun her around, wrapping his arm around her waist as he held her tightly, much to her surprise.

"Don't you wanna get away to a whole new part you're gonna play

'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride

To the other side

So if you do like I do

So if you do like me

Forget the cage, 'cause we know how to make the key

Oh, damn! Suddenly we're free to fly

We're going to the other side

So if you do like I do

(To the other side)

So if you do like me

(We're going to the other side)

'Cause if we do we're going to the other side

We're going to the other side!"

The jukebox finally finished playing its tune, leaving the two business partners standing in the middle of the room, panting slightly. Katalina smirked, holding back a giggle. "My, I didn't think you knew how to Waltz."

"It goes to show, never judge a book by its cover."

"Did… did that seriously just happen? Did we just have a real life musical number?" Maribelle asked, a look of disbelief written on her face. She heard a pop next to her, making her jump slightly. Veronica was leaning back against the door frame, tapping away on her phone screen.

"Yeaup… there's a quirk that runs in our family. For whatever reason, Peter can sing a song and people around him instantly know the lyrics to it. It doesn't matter if they know it or not, they just do. We've tried to explain it, but we think it's supernatural in nature." she said with a shrug.

"Supernatural… but… huh?"

"Try not to think too hard about it Princess, you'll get used to it. I feel like you'll be seeing a lot more of us in the future." Veronica said, wrapping her arm around Maribelle's waist. She held her arm up, flashing a grin to the camera. "Cheese!"

"Wait don't!"

"Perfect, this one is going straight onto Instagram. #GrrrMondays." she rapidly typed.

Peter sat down at the bar, reaching into his pocket for a folded piece of paper. It was in fact his invitation to Versailles Academy. He grabbed a pen that the Bartender had handed him, and quickly drafted up what looked like a contract.

"Here we are.. I drafted this up real quick, but it'll serve its purpose for now. We can get it notarized later. This states that I, Peter Terrence Burnett shall give 10% of Burnett's Circus to a one Katalina-"

"Loera." she said, as he quickly wrote her surname.

"Yes… Katalina Loera, in exchange for loaning me 5 million American Dollars. A loan that shall be paid in full after the first night of business, once taxes and venue are paid off of course. She shall continue to receive said 10% and will even get a shiny plaque too." he said, drawing two lines at the bottom of the paper. He scrawled his name at the bottom, roughly dotting his lines. He handed her the pen, giving her a wink.

"Hmm… 5 million seems a little low… you know what, I'll give you 10 as a start, and you'll only have to pay me back for 5. You clearly need it, and I don't mean that as an insult." she said, signing her name at the bottom of the paper. "Oh, and I better see my name first."

"What? Oh come on, this is Burnett's Circus!"

"Si, lo era." the woman said, taking a hold of the shot he had poured himself, downing it in a single gulp. "But remember… I'm the one who's loaning you the money."

"You… you are right about that," he said softly. He glanced at his sister, who gave him a small nod. "Fine… Loera and Burnett's it is."

Katalina rolled her eyes, writing the name above their signatures in the fanciest script she could. She passed the paper over to him, placing the pen on top of it. "I don't care for the recognition, honestly. Burnett and Loera's sounds a lot better in my opinion."

"I still cannot believe you are actually doing this," Maribelle said, shaking her head. Peter stood from his stool, spinning his hat around, before placing it on his head. He grabbed a hold of his cane, tapping it onto the tiled floor.

"That's because you have no sense of imagination miss. I can tell just by looking at you that you didn't have any friends growing up." he said, earning a glare from her. "Ah but… but but but.. That is about to change. For you see, you are about to be introduced to a brand new world. A world of beauty, of oddities and splendor! A world that is hidden under the grime of society, a world that I'm sure two swells like you will definitely enjoy!"

"Ugh… I do not particularly care for your attitude," she said, holding back a smile. She grabbed a hold of their contract, looking it over. "However, I will do something I haven't done in a long time."

She reached into her coin purse, pulling out a ring which she almost never wore. She grabbed a piece of crimson wax from within as well, placing it onto the paper. The final thing she withdrew from her purse was a Zippo lighter. She held it to her ring for a few moments, until it was hot enough to melt the wax. She pressed it down on the paper, grabbing a hold of the pen.

"You no longer have to get it notarized. Since I hold a position of power in another country, and am recognized by both British and French officials, my seal is valid. When paired with my signature of course." she said, writing her name down in the fanciest script she could. "There you are, this document is officially recognized by House Peletier."

"Whoa wait… you are an actual Princess?" Veronica asked, wide eyed. "No way, I took a selfie with an actual princess!"

"Duchess… actually," the pink clad woman said, sighing. "My cousin was the princess… however since she is deceased, I might take the throne soon. Regardless of that, consider me your representative." she said, giggling as she held her hand out. Peter took a hold of it, placing a dainty kiss on top of it.

"Charmed to meet you, you may call me Peter."

"Likewise sir… my name is Maribelle Nevermind Peletier, Duchess of Novoselic."

"Yeesh… that's a mouthful… I'll call you Bella instead." Peter said with a shrug, earning a wide eyed look from the duchess.

"Do not refer to me as such, that is such a horrid name!"

"Eh.. Bella is cute so that's what I'm calling you, and don't worry… when Burnett and Loera's comes back to it's fully glory, I'll be sure to bring it to Novoselic. I've always wanted to visit it, I hear Rejornavic is a beautiful city."

"Hmph." the girl said, holding her nose up. "Here I thought you'd want to visit my domain, that being Themis. Of course when I stepped up, I had to appoint someone else as Duchess of Themis, but it is still my home. Perhaps you can bring your little show there?"

"Of course Bella! I promise!" he said cheerfully. The door to the parlor opened, and in walked a sharply dressed man. He walked straight to Kat, exchanging a few brief words, before handing her a briefcase. She thanked him and sent him on his way, before turning to Peter.

"Here you are, 10 million dollars. All in crisp 100 dollar bills." she said, handing him the briefcase. He shakily took it, placing it on top of the bar, flicking it open. His eyes widened in shock, jaw dropping when he saw the money.

"Holy tits… imagine all of the sundaes I could buy with that," Veronica said, snapping a picture with her phone.

"Little sis, you are thinking inside the box," Peter said softly, as he closed the case. He turned to the two women, giving them a smile. He wrapped his arms around Kat, much to her surprise. "Thank you… you have no idea how much this means to us… it's been a long time since someone took the two of us seriously."

"Believe me… I don't have need for that money… just promise me you'll use it to start something great… I dunno what it is, but I have faith in you. Faith that you'll bring your family back together… maybe not all of them, but the few that remain."

"I will… you've got my word!" he said, releasing his hold on the woman. He used his cane to throw his hat in the air. Spinning around, he caught it in his hand, placing it top his head, flipping his cane around. "And you'll have the first tickets too, partner."

Katalina gave him a nod, a smile on her face.

_**xxx**_

"Are you thinking about them again?" Veronica asked, as she pulled her parka over her shoulders. Peter shook his head, glancing down at his sister.

"How could I not?" the man said, holding back tears. "One of our friends is…"

She took a hold of his hand, holding it tightly. Her gaze shifted back towards Versailles Academy, which had been seized and placed under lockdown. The two were watching from a distance, too scared to get any closer. All attempts to breach the school had been met with resistance, it seemed what was going on there wasn't going to end soon.

The man tightened his hold on the briefcase, forcing himself to walk away. He turned around, shoving his hand in his pocket, being followed by his sister Veronica. "I'm going to fulfill my promise… once we get the circus back up, we're going to Novoselic."

"Of course… A Burnett doesn't go back on their word." Veronica said firmly.

"You're right… it's up to us to make Burnett and Loera's become the Greatest Show on Earth. Come on… it's best we go to the Embassy and get things sorted out. We'll be in Connecticut soon enough." he said softly.

"I know you will, can we get some ice cream?" she asked, earning a nod from the young man. She took off, walking a bit faster than him. He glanced over his shoulder, frowning.

"Even if I am just deluding myself… I've got a million dreams swirling around in my head. And I'm going to fight tooth and nail to make them all a reality."

"Come on big brother! Let's go before they run out of mint chocolate chip!" Veronica cried, causing him to quicken his pace.

In a nearby alley, a figure stood, leaning back against a brick wall. They were dressed in all black, wearing a large brimmed hat that covered their face, and a trench coat that hid most of their body. Despite that, one could tell the figure was clearly female. She was flipping a coin through the air, catching it with ease. She flipped it one more time, catching and placing on the top of her hand, smiling at the result.

"Delusions can be such fun… it seems you have quite an interesting one as well. The coin has spoken for me.." the woman giggled, as she pushed herself away from the wall, walking deeper into the alleyway. "You're delusion has been collected and catalogued, I hope to see you soon~"

_**xxx(End of Prologue 1)xxx**_

**A/N: The profiles have been moved to their own separate page, for convenience and because this was becoming hefty. **


	3. Prologue 2: The History of HHPA

**A New Despair: Prologue 2**

**The History of Hope Hills Preparatory Academy**

* * *

**Date: April 10th, 2021**

**Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania**

**Time: 12:34 PM**

xxx

"You have got to be shitting me. Why the fuck do we have to watch this?" an angry voice snapped. The sound of crinkling could be heard in the small room, plastic wrap being tossed into the trash. Sasha closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath through her nose before leaving the bathroom, standing by one of the twin beds in the room.

"Nodoka, this is something that all future students have to watch. We need to know what kind of place we are going to. Hope Hills Preparatory Academy is one of the oldest schools in the nation. It was a small institution before World War II, and after the United States and Japan became allies, it was turned into the academy it is today. We might be tested on this stuff, I've even heard of students being kicked out for this."

The blonde idol bit her lip, eye twitching as she looked at the disc in her hand. She sighed, tossing it onto the bed beside her, grabbing a hold of her suitcase. "You mean to tell me, this school is so full of themselves that they boot students out for not watching a stupid video?"

"I'm certain they've kicked students out for much less than that." the green haired paparazzi said, moving toward the dresser. She grabbed her camera case, deciding to check on the device. She wanted to make sure she was ready for anything that might happen. She flicked it open, sitting down on the bed. "Listen Doka, this is something new for the two of us. I didn't know I would be here half a year ago. I didn't know you would become one of my close friends… which is why we have to do everything we can to remain in this school."

"You act like we've been accepted." Nodoka said, opening the small fridge at the front of the room. It had been fully stocked with snacks, water and soda, as per her request. "Like, I get that we made it to the top 100, but that doesn't mean we are in this thing yet. There are 24 slots available for us, and two classes in total. That means 48 students in total will be accepted for this year, and 52 will be rejected."

"Exactly, and we cannot be in that 52. I've already run a few calculations in my head, and we stand a bigger chance than some of the others. We've got the board by the balls, so we don't have a thing to worry about." Sasha said, a small smile on her face. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, grabbing the manila folder from inside her camera case. "Remember, we've got these. If they don't accept us, then we post these on every social media account across the globe."

The blonde idol took a sip from her water, a small smirk on her face. "Sasha Raymond-Reddington, you are the most badass girl I have ever met. If I was into chicks, I'd kiss you." she said, earning an eye roll from her friend.

"Let us both thank god that you aren't, I don't think I'd like to get a kiss from you." she said, stifling a giggle when she saw Nodoka's eye twitch. She stood up from her bed, grabbing her suitcase and dragging it along with her.

"I'm going to get ready. I'm not into museums and shit, but we may as well explore the city. Not to mention there's that cute Elephant Emporium nearby, and I want to see them!" she said, her peppy persona beginning to slip out. Sasha gave her a nod, hearing the bathroom door slam a moment later. She knew Nodoka didn't have any intention of watching that film.

It only took her a moment to get her things in order. Her camera was ready to go, she had plenty of spare SD cards, all of her lenses and anything else she would need. She even had her selfie stick in case her camera decided not to work. She would make sure to grab as many scenic shots as she could. Pennsylvania was a beautiful place, and she wanted to have long lasting memories of it.

A soft sigh left her lips as she stood up. She grabbed a hold of her satchel, placing her camera inside it, along with everything else she would need for the day. The sun was shining brightly, despite the skies being crimson red. The fall of Hope's Peak Academy and the rise of Ultimate Despair had changed the world so much. She didn't know if she would ever see those blue skies again. The blue skies and puffy clouds were just a distant memory of her youth, before Hope's Peak Academy fell, before she lost her mother, before she lost ties with her best friend, the boy she had developed feelings for. She grabbed a hold of her skirt, her knuckles turning white for a moment.

"I can't focus on the past, I have to keep my eyes forward, on the future. And watching this tape is that first step." she mumbled, as she grabbed the discarded disc she had handed to Nodoka. HHPA's Board knew the two were traveling together, so they didn't bother sending individual ones. She pulled the disc out of the plastic case, and shoved it into the DVD player, turning the television on.

"Well, let's see what the hell this thing is about." she mumbled, once the television was fully on. She pressed 'Play' and set the remote back, a frown on her face as the video started up.

"_Welcome future student, to the beginning of your future! If you are watching this film, it means that you have made it to the Top 100 applicants. If this is the case, then your next step will be the Supreme Showcase! However, before we get to that, we want to introduce you to the academy. The place where you will hone your skills for the next 4 years of your life." _

"Goddamn, the editing in this video is shit." she mumbled under her breath, leaning back on the bed. The video showed various pictures of HHPA, it's campus, some of the students as well as the facilities.

"_Hope Hills Preparatory Academy was originally built in 1857. At that time, it was a small institution that had been built around Independence Hall. the Government of the United States, had been interested in building an academy, in a place where a lot of American History had been made. Independence Hall, was the place where the founding fathers of our nation, not only drafted the Declaration of Independence, but also formally and concisely, made the Colonies, into one nation." _

"That's blatantly false, haven't they watched National Treasure?" the green haired girl quipped, lips pursed as she continued to watch. She grabbed some water from the fridge, just as a current picture of the academy flashed onto the screen.

Independence Hall was a beautiful structure, made out of red bricks and mortar. It sat at the front of the academy, its spire bearing the flag of the United States of America at the very top. The Centennial Bell had been polished and restored, and glimmered brightly in the sunlight, the clock face had also been restored, the original golden shine of the hands and the numbers seemed to gleam brightly.

The Academy itself was built around this monumental place, rising high into the Philadelphia skyline. The academy was made up of three other buildings. The two buildings at the sides of Independence Hall. These two buildings were four stories tall, and were the newest buildings that had been constructed. They were large, made of steel and glass, reflecting the sunlight in all directions. They had been styled after modern skyscrapers, the building on the very left had a round dome at the top, which seemed to be covered in green panes of glass. While the building on the right had a flat roof, and large satellite dishes pointing into space. The largest of the buildings rested behind Independence Hall.

It was a tall, old style building made out of brick and mortar, which seemed to match the style of the historic building underneath it. It soared high above the rest, with large, old style windows that matched the construction of Independence Hall. There was a dome at the top of the building, made out of brass and steel, with round parlour windows. A long, thin spire rose high into the sky, the flag of HHPA waving proudly in the breeze. It seemed to resemble the construction of Hope's Peak Academy, in a way. Sasha leaned forward, taking all of the details of the academy in. She noticed another feature of the school, the 55 flag poles that surrounded the academy. All of them had a flag waving in the wind, the flags of the 50 states, along with the flags of the 5 territories still owned by the United States of America. The film cut to another picture, which showed one of the US Presidents shaking hands with one of the Emperors of Japan.

"_Hope Hills Preparatory Academy was created in 1946, after the end of World War II. After the United States spoke with the Japanese people, and helped to repair the destruction caused by the Atom Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they became very interested in Hope's Peak Academy. They wished to understand why talent was so important in the world. They had noticed several soldiers had been born with natural talent, and wished to research it further. After several drafts and deals with the Japanese Emperor of the time, it was agreed that a branch of Hope's Peak Academy would be built in the United States, to further the research of talented individuals in the new world. Thus, the American Branch of Hope's Peak Academy, Hope Hills Preparatory Academy was born._

_Once the academy was finished being built, with the specifications of the original Hope's Peak, HHPA began operations under its new name in 1958. Since then, it has been expanding and providing students state of the art equipment to better their crafts. We at HHPA believe that nurturing talent will lead to great success."_

The next image that flashed on the screen was a picture of the leftmost building, as the others had been blacked out. Sasha let out a yawn as she continued to watch the screen. It was all interesting stuff, but she was bored. History wasn't her strong suit, and if it didn't have beautiful pictures or perfect editing, she lost interest rapidly.

"_This part of the Academy is known as the Practical Arts Building. It was constructed in 1973, after students requested larger areas in the old building. As it was built to the specifications of Hope's Peak Academy, there weren't a lot of facilities for the students to use. So, the Headmaster requested building permits to the United States Government and they approved. Construction finished in 1981 and has been renovated every 10 years to meet with an evolving world. Located here are the Civics and Social Studies Departments as well as the History Department. The bottom two floors consist of the Computer Lab, which was upgraded last year with current tech, along with the Home Economics Department. The fourth floor of this building features a Conservatory, for Plantlife as well as well as a Butterfly and Moth nursery, where students will learn about the various species of Lepidera located in the United States and the world." _

"A butterfly and moth conservatory. That seems rather specific, looks like I'll get some scenic shots of the butterflies there. Just like I used to when I was a kid. I'll have a nice scrapbook ready for when I see Reukra again." she said softly to herself.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" the voice of her friend Nodoka said, causing her to jump slightly. Sasha paused the film, facing her friend. Nodoka wasn't standing before her anymore, before her stood the famous Japanese Pop Idol, Rika Nyan Nyan.

Her hair was styled in its usual side ponytail, curled into a perfect drill and tied up with a pink bow. She had her kitty ear themed headset on her head which sparkled slightly in the light. She was wearing one of her newer, cat themed outfits, a sleeveless dress with pink paw prints and a ruffled skirt. She adjusted her choker a bit, the small golden bell jingling as she did. Sasha flushed slightly, looking away from her friend.

"It's a little habit I've developed over the years. I'm usually alone when I go hunting for the perfect celebrity pic. I've just naturally spoken my thoughts." she said. Nodoka shrugged as she walked toward her side of the room, pulling her suitcase along with her. She sat down on the edge of the bed, mirror in hand as she began checking her makeup.

"I sing to myself when I'm in the shower, gotta have those vocal practices. Besides, when you grow up without any friends, you tend to start going a little crazy. Glad I found you before I became some bitch with 30 cats." she replied with a shrug. She grabbed her lip gloss tube, giving it a little shake before applying it to her lips. "Anyway, I heard this in the bathroom, the fuck is it about?"

"The history of HHPA. They explained a few things, nothing of interest except the history bits." Sasha replied. Nodoka didn't even look away from the mirror, fully focused on her makeup. The girl grabbed the remote, aiming it at the television. "Guess we'll continue where I left off."

"Ugh… I would rather watch a video of me getting fucked than watching this pile of garbage." the teen idol said. Her tone of distaste was palpable, Sasha could tell. She turned to her friend, giving her a cheeky grin.

"So, the sex tape does exist!"

Nodoka looked up from the mirror, glaring at her friend. "Listen here cunt, there is no fucking sex tape. I'm 100 percent virgin, I can show you my hymen if you want. Actually, examine that picture you took of me in Akihabara, I'm certain that will answer your question."

"Relax girl, it was just a joke." the photographer said, rolling her eyes. She unpaused the film, shifting her attention to the television screen. The narrator finished the last few words detailing the facilities in the Practical Arts building, before moving onto the next one.

"_The Classical Arts building was constructed in 1991 and finished in 1999. This building was requested by the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, on his visit to the United States Branch of Hope's Peak Academy. Constructed from limestone and mortar, along with steel foundations, the Classical Arts building was created for the more refined talents of HHPA._

_This building features a large auditorium, which seats up to 3,000 people at a time. As of 2020, it has been completely remodeled following an attack by Ultimate Despair. It is a Victorian Era styled auditorium with plush seats, and a large teak stage, upon which students may perform. It is one of the most important places on campus, as it is here where we host the Supreme Showcase! It is an event where the top 100 applicants will fight for a chance to claim their spot in our school. This is a televised event, where the entire nation and the world will get to see natural talent right on the stage!"_

"Pfft… they certainly are proud of that stage. I wonder what would happen if someone set it on fire?" Sasha said, earning a giggle from Nodoka.

"Seems like the best spot to smoke some weed. I might keep my eye out on it when I get accepted." she said, earning an eye roll from her friend.

"_The Classical Building offers more than just an auditorium. Alongside the auditorium, a state of the art Music Room has been built, one floor above it. It features every instrument imaginable, along with a grand piano and a full sized church organ, designed by famous organist and HHPA Graduate, Jacques Peppin. The Art Department is located here, along with the Photography Lab. The fifth floor of the Classical Arts Building features an upgraded Astronomy Department, for those that wish to study the stars. The telescope is located here and is accessible at all hours of the night."_

"Well would you look at that, a Photo Lab. I bet you 100 bucks they won't let you develop nudies there."

"I don't just develop nudes you know. It just so happens TMZ pays more for nude pictures of celebrities. I got $300,000 for that picture of you after all. I have no idea what it is but the Americans really love J-Pop Idols." the girl said, earning a giggle from Nodoka.

"That's because a bunch of weebs have messed up dreams about us. Have you read some of the fan mail I've gotten? Some of it is really sweet, while others are just creepy. God don't even get me started on the fanfiction! Ugh, it's just so gross." Nodoka said, a squeamish look on her face. She snapped her powder case closed, setting the mirror down. "I don't like knowing some neckbeard is jacking off to my posters, or worse. It's all so gross!"

"Well I mean… you did take a lot of pictures when you were a-" she stopped mid sentence when Nodoka gave her a glare. The look in her eyes said it all. 'Speak another word, and I'll end you'. She hadn't known her for long, but she did know those that got that look, never made it out unscathed. She shifted her gaze back to the screen, having lost interest in what she was saying. The video finished with the Classical building, having moved on to the last building on the complex.

"_The Traditional Building is the second oldest building in the academy's history. Started in 1947 and finished in 1952, this building was constructed using the same blueprints drafted for Hope's Peak Academy, with varying modifications. That is why most of the outer countenance of the building shares many similarities with the academy of Hope in Tokyo, Japan. However, it is here where students will spend most of their time while they stay on campus._

_The first floor of the Traditional building consists of many student congregation areas. To the very left of the entrance lies the Cafeteria and Outdoor Garden. Here, students may enjoy a wide array of foods prepared daily by 5 star chefs. Any and all requests must be made by 12AM the night before to have everything prepared efficiently and to the best quality possible. Also located on the left part of the first floor is the Dormitory building, labeled "The Presidential Hall". It is here that our supreme students make their home. Dorm assignments are given to students via the stage of the art scrolls handed on the first day of school._

_Also located on the first floor is the Student store, where students may purchase school materials year round, along with official HHPA student wear. HHPA's prized olympic sized pool is located on the rightmost part of the first floor. Those with water based talents will be taught by experienced athletes and on occasion, Olympic medal winners. Finally, a small theater is located here, where film students may edit and screen their creations. We encourage you to use these facilities whenever possible."_

"Goddamn, an olympic sized pool? I guess bringing my cute swimsuits was a good idea." Nodoka said, holding back a giggle as she finished fixing her hair.

"I guess… wonder if any cute boys will be swimming there." Sasha said absentmindedly as she stared at the pictures that flashed onto the screen.

"Oh? Looking for a man? Or are you just interested in seeing guys in tight speedos?" the blonde said, wiggling her brows. Sasha sighed, shaking her head.

"It was just an absent thought, no need to pay me any mind." she replied, frowning. "Besides, the one I'm looking for is long gone."

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Nothing Doka, let's keep watching, it's almost finished." Sasha replied, finishing the last of her water.

"_The second floor of the Traditional Building consists of classrooms, along with a renovated Gymnasium. The Archive Room contains copies of important documents in American history, including a copy of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the United States Constitution. Both of which were drafted here in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Copies of other famous American Works, such as the Silence Dogood letters, the early works of Mark Twain and many others are stored here. Finally, the Astrophysics Lab is located here, and doubles as both a Physics Lab and Astrophysics Lab._

_The third floor of the Traditional Building contains a Recreation center for all the students, alongside a bar for Staff members. Even though the drinking age in the United States is 21, students of Hope Hills Prep have special authorization and are allowed to drink on school premises, so long as they are over the age of 18. Student IDs must be scanned before entering the bar. Other facilities include the Old Art Studio, which is being used for talents involving Carpentry. This is also where the Chemistry Lab is located, as well as the Chapel._

_Located on the 4th floor is the Headmaster's Office, along with all Faculty and Staff Offices. It is here where the backbone of our academy meet and prepare for the following years teaching the Supreme talents within our walls. Much like the President of the United States, the Headmaster is deemed to be the Commander in Chief of the school. He is elected by the Staff every four years. As such, a Headmaster is elected after four fiscal years and he or she may run for four more years afterward. The Headmaster may then elect their "Cabinet" from the staff members in the school. Students may also find the Data Processing Lab, Science Lab, Sociology and Economics Rooms as well as the Student Council Room."_

"Ugh… this is so boring. Can we leave already? I want to at least visit that emporium before it closes." Nodoka said, standing up from her bed. She flattened down her skirt a bit, digging through her suitcase for her cat themed gloves. She debated on donning her tail as well, but decided against it. She looked up, seeing Sasha was still enthralled by the video. "Sasha, hey?!"

"Ten more minutes Doka… this is all important information. We may as well learn where everything is so we don't get lost."

"Ugh… students get that Scroll thingy when they are accepted into the school. The fuckin thing probably has a map. Why do we need to sit here and listen to some stuffy asshole give us an information dump?" she snapped in annoyance. "God, it's like those stupid anime info dumps where they give you a shitload of pointless garbage that won't even matter in the end."

"It will matter when you forget where the hell the Sociology Room is, you damn Sociopath." her friend snapped. Nodoka flipped her off, deciding to ignore her.

"Whatever, I'll be down in the lobby waiting for you alright? You're the only one who can drive and I don't want to spend money on a damn taxi." she said, grabbing her purse. She walked toward the door, briefly winking at Sasha, blowing her a kiss. "Nyan Nyan!"

Sasha just waved, ignoring Nodoka's upbeat farewell. She turned the volume up a bit once the pictures on screen had disappeared. Her face was in her hand, visibly enthralled by the rather boring documentary before her.

"_The final two floors of the Traditional Building are filled with all new state of the art facilities. Since times are changing, some of the old departments were renovated entirely. We wish to accommodate everyone in our academy, including those that are technologically gifted. As such, it is with great joy that we get to introduce these brand new facilities._

_The fifth floor contains the all new eSports Lab. It is here where official eSports competitions will be held. Major gaming studios have donated millions to provide our students with the very best technology on the market to date. These computers are specifically built for the purpose of gaming. It is also where the schools Fiber Optics Department is located. There are two servers in the academy, the school server, meant for everyday use, and the eSports Server, meant for use by Streamers, Gamers and Internet Personalities. If you have a blog or a video series, you shall find it here!_

_The Animation Department is also located on the fifth floor, for all of those artists that love drawing webtoons or making animations. We have the best tools on the market, used by professionals today. The finest drawing tablets and computers are going to be provided to all students who wish to hone their animation skills. Located here is the Computer Science Room, where students who are knowledgeable on code and programming may try their hand at developing software. While not on par with major gaming studios, our equipment is capable of handling even the largest, open world games your mind can create. Other courses are offered here as well, including types used by law enforcement and Computer Forensic Scientists. _

_Finally, the sixth floor of HHPA contains the Planetarium. This new facility was built on the behest of NASA, who wished to nurture future space related talents. It is here where students will learn about the vastness of space, constellations, black holes and everything in our universe. Laser light shows are held every Saturday night. Across from the Planetarium is the Aeronautics Department, complete with a Flight Simulator for future pilots as well as a Space Shuttle Simulator. The final area of the newly renovated sixth floor is the Aquarium, which has been in operation since 1986, and has single handedly saved many species of fish and aquatic mammals from extinction._

_Now that we have given you a virtual tour of the school, we hope you look forward to your time here. Several state of the art security systems have been installed, for the safety of all of our students. We also have something special prepared for incoming students, a device that Hope Hills Preparatory Academy has been working on for several years now. However, all of you will have to wait until you are accepted to see what it is. We look forward to your attendance here, at the American Academy of Hope!"_

The video finally ended, making Sasha sigh with relief. She laid back in her bed, stretching her tired limbs. She had to admit, she wasn't expecting the academy to have it's own eSports facilities, or even an Aquarium. That certainly wasn't in the brochure. She was confused as to what purpose Independence Hall served, but she figured that would also be explained during the first day of school. She turned the television off as she sat up, grabbing her satchel and placing it on her shoulder.

"I better not keep Doka waiting, she gets annoyed when I do."

She made sure she had everything she needed before leaving the hotel room. Once she had her cardkey and her cellphone, she left the room. She wrapped her hand around her bag strap, making sure it was secured on her shoulder. Even though the hallway was empty, she wanted to make sure she had a good grip on it. It wasn't the first time someone had tried to steal her camera, afterall.

After taking the elevator down, she briefly walked past the lobby, happily greeting the receptionist before stepping outside. Nodoka was waiting by one of the plants, looking at her phone with a look of boredom. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw her friend, sighing with relief.

"Finally~ You know you shouldn't keep a kitty waiting, nyan!"

"Ugh… I know we are in public, but are you going to do this the entire time?" her friend said, brow quirked in curiosity. Nodoka snorted, shaking her head.

"No. Just when we're alone, the two of us. Now come on! Mr. Ted's Elephant Emporium isn't that far from here. After seeing all that fucking corn, I need to see something new. Jesus, I didn't know Cornsylvania was literal fucking corn fields."

"It's one of the big exports in this state. It isn't Nebraska though, that is all fucking corn. Let's go, I'm in the mood for some chocolates myself." the green-haired photographer said, leading her friend toward their rental car. Sasha unlocked the car, briefly glancing at the sky. Though the clouds were gone, the crimson skies of despair hung above them. She frowned, using her hand to block the sun.

"Something the matter?" Nodoka asked, a tone of concern on her voice. Sasha sighed, meeting eyes with her friend.

"I'm just wondering if the skies will ever be blue."

"Maybe one day… the world may be recovering from the Tragedy, but it isn't fully healed. This world has suffered for far too long. The blood of the people that have died stains the skies red. Until despair is completely eradicated, I don't think we'll see the blue skies of our youth." the teen idol said, frowning. "Believe me… I've yearned to see those skies again. But I fear they are nothing but a fleeting memory. Come on, I'll buy you a big ass chocolate bar when we get there."

Sasha nodded, silently entering the car. Nodoka's words rang through her head, and she wondered if her friend was telling the truth.

* * *

**Date: April 10th 2021**

**Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania **

**Time: 12:45PM**

"_Hope Hills Preparatory Academy… after the weeks of agonizing wait, I am finally here." _a young man thought as he looked up at the large academy before him.

The entire complex was filled with people of all ages and sizes. Men, women and children, all there to visit the historic Independence Hall, as well as tour the campus. Independence Plaza was where most people were gathered, staring at the American Academy of Hope. Whether with glee or disappointment, he didn't know. His violet eyes scanned his surroundings for any threats, something that had been ingrained in him due to his time in the Militia back in the United Kingdom.

He made his way further into the complex, keen on exploring his surroundings. He was a rather tall young man for his age, and this seemed to elicit some curious looks from passersby. He didn't mind it much. He was rather used to it in fact. Though some were staring at him due to his height, the true reason they were staring at him was due to the sword strapped to his hip. He walked calmly and confidently, with a boyish charm that seemed to radiate charm and poise. For Anton Grey, this was all he needed. If he showed nothing but calm and collected confidence, then the people around him would also be calm. After all, he was a 'Chosen One' and he needed to be prepared for anything that might be thrown at him.

"Welcome future students of Hope Hills! We're proud to announce our shops are open! Step right up, buy some merch, take some souvenirs home! The American Academy of Hope has keepsakes for all of you!" a man shouted, trying to get attention to his wares. Anton rolled his eyes as he walked, not at all interested in what he was selling.

"_Leave it to people to try and profit off of something so special. Some of these people might not even become students, and yet all they want is money. The bastards." _he thought, as he reached the front entrance of Independence Hall. The historic building looked like it had back in its heyday, having been recently repainted and renovated. Anton had always wanted to see a historic place like this up close. Having already visited the North Church in Boston, this was his next logical step.

"Pennsylvania State House. Where the founding fathers of the United States held their convention. Where they planned and drafted the Declaration of Independence… where 55 men signed their names and declared their freedom from the crown. The true birthplace of the United States… I never thought I would be here to see it up close." he said softly, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword.

He took a deep breath, walking through the open doors of the historic building. He looked around for a moment, seeing a few officials and police officers within the building. A few of them were chatting amicably with some teenagers, while some of the parents were looking around at old paintings. He took another step forward, only for a young woman to approach him, a smile on her face.

"Welcome young man, are you here to partake in the tour?" she asked curiously. Anton gave her a once over, noticing her arms weren't exactly human. In fact, her arms were covered in light blue feathers, and resembled wings. Despite this, she was wearing a business suit, firmly pressed with an equally posh pencil skirt. Her feet were left bare, as they were in fact talons. Her smile curved into a frown when she realized what he was looking at. She sighed, looking away. "Yes, these are real."

"My apologies miss… I didn't mean to stare. I'm still getting used to all of… well this." he said, rudely gesturing to her body. Her face hardened a bit as she stood up straight, folding her wings slightly.

"It was out of my control. I was on a business trip in England when I drank some of the water. It's been a painful experience and I would rather not be reminded of it. Now, are you here for the tour? Or for the restrooms?" she asked more sternly.

"Oh ah… I'm a future student. I received a letter and a disc telling me I made it to the Top 100. I just came to check in." he said. The young woman nodded, walking around the small desk. She reached for a device that had been placed on top of it.

Anton watched as she fiddled with the flat looking device. It was white in color with an orange, diamond shaped button on the center of it. She pulled it open, revealing a holographic screen. After tapping on it for a moment, she held it up, snapping a picture of the young man, who was completely taken by surprise. She tapped the device for a few more moments, whistling a tune. The boy awkwardly stood there, scratching his neck as she continued messing with the device. After a second or two, she set the device down, reaching to the side for what looked like a button. She placed it on the counter top before him, giving him a firm look.

"That's a service pin. Top 100 students are required to wear it while on campus. It allows them to get access to certain facilities while on the complex. All hotel stays have been paid by the academy, you also have access to the Auditorium in the Classical Building, the Cafeteria in the Traditional Building and the teleportation pad that leads to the eSports Lab on the fifth floor."

"Teleportation Pad?" Anton asked, confused by what she had said. The woman continued speaking, ignoring his outburst.

"If you have any other questions, feel free to ask any of the staff members. You must wear that pin at all times while on Campus. If you do not wear it, you will be removed from the premises, even if you are in the Top 100. We take this very serious, Mr. Grey. Those that do not comply with our rules and regulations will be terminated immediately. Ah yes, before I let you go, weapons are not allowed on campus." the woman said, glancing at his sword. He took a more defensive stand, hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"This weapon was given to me by someone special. It is more than just a regular sword. Don't you know who I am? I'm Excalibur's Chosen One!" he said. The woman gave him a blank look, snapping her gum as she looks at the device. She scrolls the page on it for a moment, humming softly.

"Ah right… it says here that you were chosen by the legendary sword. I don't know how being chosen by a piece of metal makes you special but whatever. You've been given special clearance, you may move along."

"Why… you don't need to be rude young lady. I am a hero!" Anton snapped in annoyance. The woman gave him a forced smile, showing her very sharp teeth.

"And I didn't ask to be turned into a harpy, and I didn't ask for people to look at me like I'm a freak. And I didn't ask for someone to be rude to me. Sir, you have to be kind and smart if you wish to be a hero, as well as accepting of others. HHPA is the first academy in the world to be open to accepting those with Supernatural Talents. You best get used to seeing more of my people around here. We don't like being treated like circus freaks." she said firmly.

"Jessica, is something the matter?" one of the guards asked, grabbing the woman's attention. She gave the guard a smile, flushing slightly as she did.

"No, nothing is the matter. I'm just checking this young man in and giving him his pin." she said. The guard looked him over, a scrutinizing gaze on his face. He noticed some of the medals pinned to Anton's jacket, brows raising a bit.

"Look at that, you in the army?"

"Indeed I am. First Lieutenant of the British Reclamation Council, Anton Grey." the young man said, standing at attention with his hand at his forehead in a salute. The guard held back a chuckle.

"Ah yes, the BRC. The remains of the British Army, who formed a militia to supposedly save the people after the death of the Queen. Heard you all had some heavy shit to deal with. How goes it? Are the lush fields of Scotland filled with acid spitting sheep?" he asked almost jokingly. Anton glared at the man, but decided to keep his cool.

"No sir. We are doing everything we can to save the people of the United Kingdom. We have lost many citizens since the original Tragedy. The Monster Serum released in London has spread all over the British Isles and has spread across the world. The more feral monsters have to be put down, but those that survived have been accepted into society." the young man said firmly.

"So you say… but I can tell some people are still getting used to it all. I was looking at you earlier, how you were staring at Jessica here. I'll have you know, she is one of the best secretaries in this academy. Just because she has feathers and wings doesn't make her any different than a regular human. Word of advice, be mindful with how you speak to people, I don't think a legendary piece of metal is going to save you from getting shot in the face." the guard said, giving him a glare. Anton nodded, bowing his head as he walked past the guard, further into the hall.

"_I wasn't expecting this sort of treatment. I don't think I did anything wrong, what is wrong with people here? The Colonies certainly have an attitude problem." _he said, fixing his jacket.

He explored the hall for a few minutes. He saw the hall where the Declaration had been signed. It had been congested with a lot of tourists, making him feel a bit choked up. He looked around for the exit, trying to avoid the secretary he had met earlier. The last thing he wanted was another confrontation with her and her guard. However, as he was preparing to leave, he spotted something quite out of the ordinary.

A young lady, who was looking around, a look of confusion on her face. As soon as the people around her walked past, and she gave them a smile, she hopped the felt rope that was blocking one of the stairwells. She hastily made her way up the steps, clutching her umbrella tightly in her hands. He noticed the rope said "Personnel only, no one is allowed beyond this point" and realized the girl was breaking the rules. He sighed, deciding it was his duty to bring her back before she got in trouble. So after looking around, he followed after her.

Anton silently followed after the young lady, wondering why she was even up here. There wasn't anything of interest, aside from a small library. Footsteps filled his ears, making him speed up, as that meant he was getting closer to the girl. He noticed another door close, and realized she had ducked into a stairwell. He followed suit, ducking silently into the stairs using his hand to slowly and silently close the door.

"_What the hell is this girl doing?" _he thought as he slowly and shakily climbed up the stairs. He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword as he kept climbing up. "_There's nothing of interest here, except maybe the Belltower." _

Anton reached the top of the stairs, finding nothing but a ladder, leading up to a hatch. He climbed up, opening the hatch being greeted by the humongous bell that hung in the tower. He climbed all the way up, kneeling so that no one could see him. Once he made sure he was alone, he stood up, looking at the recently polished bell. Cast of bronze and iron, etched with the names of the men that cast it. It was hung in the belfry on July 4th, 1876, 100 years after the founding of the United States of America. The bell held significance, not just for the American People, but for the world, as a symbol of freedom and ingenuity.

"Fancy bell… doesn't beat the ones in Notre Dame though," he mumbled, as he looked around. He noticed the young girl had managed to climb down onto the thatched roof, walking toward the brick wall at the far end of the building. "What the bloody hell is that kid doing?"

Sighing to himself, he looked for a way down, finding a built in ladder on the side of the belltower. He climbed down onto the roof, which was thankfully safe enough to walk on. It didn't take long for him to approach her. She was a lot shorter than he had been expecting, a little more than half his size. She jolted a bit and rapidly turned around, locking eyes with him. Anton almost drew his sword in surprise, not having expected her to spin around that fast.

"You! Why are you following me?" she snapped, glaring at him. Her plum colored hair blew in the wind as she approached him, twirling her umbrella in her hand. Anton gave her a once over, taking in her rather odd outfit. A sleeveless vest, designer short sleeved shirt, what looked like biker shorts and brown boots. It was one of the oddest combinations he had seen in awhile. He felt something metallic poking at his throat, and slowly drew part of his sword. "I said, why are you following me?"

"Because you are a child, and it's dangerous for children to be on rooftops without adult supervision." the young man said firmly, in the most authoritarian tone he could muster. The girl's brows furrowed, a smug look appearing on her face. Her lips curled in a catty grin, as she further drove the ferrule of her umbrella into his throat.

"Oh… so because I am younger than you, you believe you have authority over me? I don't know who you think you are, but you do not have any authority over me." she said firmly, glaring into his eyes. "Believe me boyo, I am not someone you wanna mess with."

Anton wasn't at all impressed, and with a sweeping motion, brushed the umbrella from his throat. The girl backed away from him, glaring at him for a moment as she checked her precious umbrella. The Future Supreme Chosen One noticed the diamond shaped pin attached to her vest, making him frown.

"_This girl is in the top 100? I didn't think HHPA was letting middle-schoolers into their institution." _he thought, frowning. "_This academy is too good for someone as rude as this young lady."_

"Did you get enough for the spank bank?" she suddenly asked, making Anton blink in confusion. She continued glaring. "You must be happy huh? Since you have mental images in storage now. Do you want some more provocative ones you perv? Do you like armpits?"

"I'm sorry what? What are you talking about? I'm not a pervert, I was just taking in your appearance and your age. You are far too young to be in this academy." Anton said firmly, earning a scoff from the girl.

"So you admit that you are a pervert! This isn't Japan you sicko, you can't just claim my purity with your eyes like that. I can't believe this… what kind of world do we live in? Where disgusting men like you can prey upon cute young girls like me?"

Anton finally realized what was happening. And when he did, it angered him. It angered him so much that he wanted to scream. He felt the urge to strike the girl in the face, but remembered where he was and calmed down. He took a deep breath, glaring daggers at the young girl, straightening up to his full height.

"I do not appreciate you slandering me the way you are, young lady. I happen to be your elder and I command respect."

"Kiss my ass, you are the one who decided to follow me up here. I wasn't bothering anyone, and you were the one staring at me. So how am I at fault? Why don't you make like a tree and fuck off?" she said, spinning around and walking away. She stopped a few feet ahead of him, looking at the bricks in front of her.

"_Ugh… as much as I want to leave this little shit here by herself, she could get hurt. I might as well keep an eye on her." _he thought, slowly approaching the girl. He cleared his throat, hoping to get her attention. "So… what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a small, rectangular building block. It was used by people in the olden days for construction purposes. I believe you people call it a _brick_? I'm not exactly sure." she said sarcastically, earning a sigh from the blond boy.

"Okay look, I might have no made the perfect first impression, but I think we should at least reintroduce ourselves. You and I are both in the Top 100, and we might end up in the same class. That means that for the next 4 years, we'll have to play nice. As such, I will introduce myself. My name is Anton Grey, the Future Supreme Chosen One."

"Supreme Chosen One?" the girl asked, quirking a brow as she turned to face him. "Chosen One? You mean you were chosen to be here? How the hell is that a talent?"

"I.. .wasn't chosen by the school, I was chosen by this." he said, gesturing to the sword at his hip. "This is the Legendary Sword, Excalibur. I was chosen to wield it by the Lady of the Lake, my mission is to free the United Kingdom from the pain and strife the Monster Serum has brought upon it."

"Oh wowie! That's so cool, that's really the legendary sword from King Arthur's legend?" the girl asked excitedly. Anton smiled, giving her a happy nod.

"Indeed! It's an enchanted weapon, only a few people can wield it. Those that have are said to become excellent heroes."

"I see, I see… that's weird though. Why would the Lady of the Lake pick a scrawny spitfuck like you?" she asked, causing him to gasp in shock. "Eh… I guess she saw something in you that not many others did. Whatever."

"What is your name?" he asked through grit teeth, having lost his patience with the girl. She brushed some hair over her shoulder, giving her the cutest grin imaginable.

"My name is Freyja Dahlstrom. Future Supreme Meteorologist, I predict a lot of rain in your future." she said happily. She turned back to the bricks in front of her, tracing one with her finger tip. After a few more moments, she found what she was looking for. She reached behind her back for her Swiss Army knife, pulling out the blade. "Finally, I get to prove my theory right!"

"Uh… what are you talking about?"

"Haven't you seen National Treasure? That story is based on true events! The templar treasure is real, and the founding fathers left clues for all of us in everyday things. Fuck, I know that you are in the military and all but come on, you must have seen that movie!" she cried, as she dug her knife into the brick, breaking apart the mortar keeping it in place.

"National Treasure? Templars? Are you insane? All of that shit happened in a movie. You cannot be serious."

Freyja ignored him, pulling the brick out of the wall. She looked inside it, finding a rolled up piece of paper on the inside. She tossed the hollowed brick aside as she unrolled the piece of paper. She read it, her eyes widening with each line. She hissed angrily, crumpling the paper in her hand.

"Alright, you win this round Nicolas Cage… you win this one." she mumbled, flicking her hair over her shoulder. She walked back toward the belltower, slipping her umbrella into her belt before she started climbing up.

Anton sighed audibly to himself, he definitely wasn't expecting to meet people like this when he signed up for HHPA. He could only hope the other students in the Top 100 weren't like Freyja, or else he would lose his mind.

* * *

**Date: April 10th, 2021**

**Location: Orrtanna, Pennsylvania**

**Time: 2:00PM**

Sasha smiled as she snapped another picture. She had been doing that since arriving at the Elephant Emporium and Candy Store. It was a quaint little place just outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The moment they had arrived, Nodoka had insisted she take pictures with the giant elephant at the entrance. Something that Sasha had obliged. She had spent the last hour or so, exploring the outdoor garden and taking photos of the decoration. It was one of the most relaxing activities she had done in a long time, and she was glad her friend had found this place.

She swept some loose strands of hair behind her ear, looking up at the sky. The sun was hidden by a few clouds, and it had gotten a bit windy. Despite it being early April, it was still a tad bit cold. She was starting to remember some of her childhood memories. Relaxing in a field filled with beautiful flowers, enjoying the breeze and the scent of freshly cut grass and carnations. The smell of pine needles didn't hold a candle to the smell on those rolling fields. She heard a few people nearby and slowly turned around, spotting her friend Nodoka not far from where she was standing, a small crowd in front of her. Sasha rolled her eyes, walking over toward the crowd.

"Nyan~ Rika is so happy to have so many loving fans here in Orrtanna! She heard about this cyute place and had to come! Rika Nyan Nyan simply adores candy!" She said happily, having switched to her idol persona.

"Rika! I'm such a huge fan!"

"I'm so happy that you're going to become a Supreme, Rika!"

"Nyan Nyan Rika Nyan!"

"_How can she just stand there and take all of that cheering with a grin on her face. I don't think I could bear it." _the photographer said, as she joined the crowd.

"Yes yes, that is 100% correct. Your Mistress, Rika Nyan Nyan has been accepted into HHPA! She's made it to the Top 100 and she is going to make it to the very end! Rika hopes all of you are ready to see me perform. All of you are invited! For the next ten minutes, Rika will be signing autographs and taking pictures. Rika's best friend Sasha will gladly take those pictures!"

"Fucking what?" the photographer cried, eyes widening in surprise. Everyone looked at her, looks of excitement appearing on her their faces. She rubbed her neck, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sure… I'll take your pictures. I'll have to gather emails too so I can send them to you."

And so began the stream of fans wanting to take pictures with the Future Supreme Japanese Pop Idol. She remained mostly silent as the people requested various pictures with Rika, all of them in various poses. Sasha didn't mind, especially since of those were going into her cringe compilation, a yearly event she released on her birthday of all the cringey photos she had taken over the year. She lowered her camera as the kids she had been taking pictures of went back to their parents. She noticed the next man was a much older man, slightly overweight, with a baseball cap and a neckbeard. He had a smile on his face as he approached the blonde idol.

"H-hi R-Rika. I'm a huge fan… I have all of your albums." he said, hands shaking as he held out Rika's most recent album, titled "Nyan Nyan Across the Globe". Sasha noticed her nose scrounging up a bit. The small never fell off her face.

"Rika Nyan Nyan is oh so very happy to hear that! She'll gladly sign that CD for you. Rika is super happy to meet her loving and wonderful fans!" she said, taking the CD from his rather meaty hands. She clicked her pink Sharpie, opening the CD. "So, who will Rika make this out to, handsome?" she said, giving the boy a wink. Nodoka's distaste in that comment was so palpable Sasha swore she could taste it.

"Oh uh… R-Richard."

"Little Dickie? Alrighty then! To little Dickie, from your favorite and beautiful idol, Rika Nyan Nyan!" she said happily, scrawling her message and name on the inside cover. She also took the time to draw a little cat on the disk along with some pawprints.

"T-Thank you, Miss Rika." the man said happily, tucking away the CD.

"Well… if you'd like a picture, you can stand right next to her. I don't think she'd mind you wrapping an arm around her waist." Sasha said, hoping to get the man away from Nodoka as fast as possible.

"Um.. I don't want a picture. I um… have another request entirely."

"Regretfully, Rika Nyan Nyan doesn't sign body parts. Someone got fresh with Rika and she almost got thrown in prison! And Rika Nyan Nyan doesn't want her first performance in America to be conducted behind bars." Rika said, hoping the man would take the hint. He cleared his throat, standing firmly before his idol.

"It isn't anything like that. This request is a little weird, but it would be a dream come true if you'd let me. Miss Rika Nyan Nyan, would you… let me lick your armpit?"

Sasha's jaw dropped. If she wasn't wearing her nylon strap, she surely would have thrown 1000 dollars of Nikon camera down the drain. The people behind him were all amicably speaking, and hadn't heard his request. Rika on the other hand had taken the request in stride. She had certainly heard worst requests in her time. In fact, this one was the tamest one she had received. And while she would have outright rejected him, she adopted a catty grin.

"You got 80 bucks?"

"Rika!" Sasha cried, her eyes bulging in surprise. Rika just shrugged, giving her fan a smile. He dug his hand into his wallet, pulling out a 100 dollar bill.

"Do you have change?" he asked. She swiped the bill from his hand, holding out to see if it was real. Once she confirmed it was, she stuffed it in her bra, shaking her head.

"Nope. Rika only pays with card, you get 30 seconds." the blonde idol said, raising her arm up, folding it behind her neck. The man painted a bit, glasses fogging up as he finally got to live his dream. Sasha swallowed her disgust and snapped a few pictures, these were definitely going in the cringe compilation.

_**xxx**_

"I cannot fucking believe you." Sasha snapped, looking at her friend as she bit into her chili dog. The blonde idol groaned with glee as she chewed, not caring about smearing the sauce all around her lips. She cracked the tab of her soda, placing the straw inside. "Seriously, you let some fat nerd lick your armpit? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"We all have fetishes Sasha. Do you actually think I enjoyed his tongue on my smooth skin? Of course not! I wanted to stab his fatass. But he paid a hundred bucks. And I can't complain about that shit. Jokes on him, I'm prone to sweat and after standing around in the sun, my pits were pools of sweat."

"That's disgusting. You never cease to amaze me, you'll do anything for a quick buck, won't you?" she said, earning an eye roll from her friend.

"First off, it's a hundred bucks, and no I won't. I'm not some cheap whore you can find in Rural, Arizona." Nodoka said, taking another big bite from her chili dog. She reached for her soda, quickly washing it down. "Besides, you got plenty for your cringe compilation. So all's well that ends well."

Sasha sighed, as she focused on her own burger. They had driven out of Orrtanna not long after the meet and greet, with various bags filled with candy. The two had checked out of their hotel in Gettysburg and started heading toward Philadelphia. The two had stopped at a Sanic Restaurant, on the insistence of the pop idol who wanted a _motherfucking chili-dog._ So she had been forced to stop. She had never been to this particular restaurant, but so far she was enjoying it.

"Nodoka… have you considered your options? For after graduation I mean."

"I'm not sure… probably go on a world tour or something. I haven't really thought of it you know?" she replied, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, looking into the distance, cleaning her mouth with a napkin. "I was invited to a few other schools. STS, Winter's Crest, even New Hope's Peak Academy scouted me for my talent. I didn't feel like I belonged in any of those schools."

"But you decided to apply to HHPA? It's the American Branch of Hope's Peak though."

"I know that. I just found it different you know… I didn't have some random guy come to me, kissing my ass and telling me how good I was. And how I was perfect for their school. If half of the schools weren't destroyed by the Tragedy, I likely would have been recruited by them as well. HHPA seemed perfect for me. Not only that, I get to explore a bit of my American heritage. My mother was from Virginia after all, it's my excuse to see where she grew up." the blonde explained, pausing briefly to finish her chili dog.

"I guess I understand how you feel… you know I applied for Hope's Peak? They rejected me… said the title of Ultimate Photographer wasn't available for anyone. I can't really say why, guess it had to do with that Koizumi chick from Class 77." she said, taking a small bite from her burger. She looked at it, frowning a bit. "I'm hoping this school helps me hone my craft. I'm a good photographer, and I'm sneaky enough to get pictures of most celebrities. But I hope I don't have to do that for the rest of my life. It's such a rude invasion of privacy."

"You're telling me. You climbed your skinny ass up five stories just to get a picture of my birth canal." Nodoka said jokingly, gulping down her Dr. Popper. "Aah… it is what it is though. You are a talented girl, and I am certain you'll get your Supreme Title. And if you don't, fuck em. I'll hire you as my personal photographer for the rest of your life. You can get all the nudies you'd like."

"Ugh… Doka, I'm not into girls. Stop being so fucking forward with me." Sasha snapped, cheeks glowing red. Nodoka giggled, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

"I don't like chicks either, but you are about the only one I'd let get even close to that. I know I act rude, and don't take care of myself well enough. That I do weird shit and tease you a lot, but I'm being honest when I say this, you are my best friend Sasha. I'm super glad we met… I don't think I know what I would do without someone like you in my life." Nodoka said, a serious tone in her voice. Sasha was honestly surprised, she had never heard her friend being so honest with her. Sasha couldn't help but smile, placing her hand over Nodoka's.

"I'm happy that we met too. You are one of my closest friends, my sister even. These last few months have been crazy, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world." she said.

"Pfft… that isn't true. There's one person you'd trade everything for that little bff of yours from when you were ten. Cute little Roo-Roo… mmm… if he survived the tragedy, he'd be our age. He must be a smoking hot hunk… capable of giving it to you with every ounce of manly stamina. Whenever that happens, I promise to film." she said with a wink.

"Fuck off!"

"Aw, Rika loves Sasha too! Nyan Nyan!" she said, blowing her friend a kiss. Sasha sighed, placing her head on the table. She could only hope the next few hours flew by as quick as humanly possible.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

**Time: Unknown**

**Date: Unknown**

"You fucking bitch! I've already done what you have asked of me. What more do you want?!" a man screamed, slamming his fist on the desk. His normally, slicked hair, was all out of place. His face was soaked in sweat, his five o'clock shadow was starting to grow on his worn looking cheeks. His normally pressed business suit was soaked in sweat, adding to his disheveled appearance.

"I.. I don't think you have the right to speak like that to me, sir." a feminine voice said. Her figure stood just outside of the shadow, cast by the only lamp in the room. The lights had been turned off, and the curtains had been pulled, only a few blades of moonlight peeked through them. Even so, he could see her holding the picture of his daughter in her hands, along with the small smirk on her face.

The man took a deep, calming breath, wiping some sweat away with a handkerchief. He folded his hands on his lap, trying to appear calm. "Alright… Miss. What more can I do for you?"

"You know exactly what I want. That last batch of applicants… I've been watching from afar, surveying them if you will. I've catalogued their delusions, and I've heard their wishes. All of them are perfect for our little project. So I want all of them to be pre-approved." she said, holding back the urge to giggle.

"You want me to pre-approve more students? Wasn't 20 enough? You want 12 more for this sick little game of yours?" the man asked. The woman looked back at the picture in her grasp, letting a bit of moonlight reflecting on the picture.

"Your daughter is turning fourteen soon isn't she? She's such a beautiful little Belle. Such nice brown hair, that reaches down to her hips. I would imagine she's still pure… I mean, the laws protect her of course. I would imagine she'd like something cute for her birthday, a horse… a car… a throbbing cock in her ass…"

"You will not-"

"If you don't want me to harm your little girl, then you will do as I ask. Besides, you are already corrupt. You were going to let a bunch of idiots into your precious institution. Have you seen the tapes? Half of the people in the Top 100 are stupid. Approving the 32 requested students will make you look honorable." she said, a smirk on her face. "We all know the Showcase is a formality, a publicity stunt, to fill your pockets with cash."

The man sighed audibly, reaching inside his desk. He pulled out the crimson red stamp and ink pad from within, pulling the file closer. He opened it, looking over the first file, that of a young applicant named Clara Herzel-Hanada. He pressed the stamp on the inkpad, slamming it hard on the application. He moved onto the next one, Nodoka Toyohama, approving her, with Anton Grey and the Baird Twins following suit. As he continued stamping the files, he looked up, seeing the figure staring intently at the framed picture of his daughter.

"Why are you doing this? Following that philosophy? That Ultimate Despair needs to destroy the world?"

"Do you believe in mirrors?" she asked, greatly confusing the man.

"What… what the fuck are you talking about? Do I believe in mirrors, what?" he snapped. The young woman reached into her pocket, drawing out a coin, an old silver dollar coin. She flipped it through the air, catching it in her palm.

"Well you see, I don't believe in mirrors. You wanna know why?" she asked, almost cryptically. She already had the man's curiosity, she just loved messing with his head. "I don't believe in mirrors, because they don't show you who you really are. They just show you what you look like. But when you stand someone up and put fear into them, well now that… that shows you exactly who they are."

"Huh?"

"So when I make you look in that mirror, and trust me, I will. I wonder just what kind of crying, poor excuse of a man will be looking back at you. Because I know em' when I hear em. And you sound like a squealer to me." the woman said.

"What the fuck is your problem? I have done everything you have asked of me since we met. I have let you do what you want, and I have kept the Board at bay. And you will not try to pull one up on me, are we clear?" the man said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Ah… look at you go… making threats. What can you do? Hm? What can you of all people do to little old me?" the girl replied. Just as the man was going to reply, he noticed a red laser aimed at his heart. He rapidly put his hands up in mock surrender. "Ah… will you look at that. Already fearful… for all you know, that could be a laser pointer and not a gun."

"I'm not taking any chances with you." he said, causing the girl to nod.

"That's a fair assessment. You want to know what we want… well that's simple. You've already allowed us to gratefully accept your students. But we don't have a venue for this little event. And well… the newly renovated Complex seems like the perfect venue. We can't take them to SkyHope stadium, and Skyline Academy is a no-go… soo…"

"You want me to approve that? Letting you despair loving fucks take over the school?" he asked, slamming his fist onto the table. "I will not allow it! My tenure in this academy will be ruined, and so will my public face with the Government. This is a government funded institution kid, and believe me, when the President finds out, you will be sorry."

The woman burst into laughter, clutching her stomach tightly. She dropped the picture frame to the ground, letting it shatter into a million pieces. Shards of glass fell all around her feet as she continued to laugh. She wiped a tear from her eye, fixing her fedora.

"Oh… you are hilarious. You think you can threaten me with the Government? One of the most corrupt on the planet? I think it's funny how you can make petty threats like that. Now, let's go back to the topic at hand. You, handing the keys of this beautiful academy, to me."

"What… why would I do that? Can't you use the offshore facility like we originally agreed?" he asked firmly, a look of worry on his face.

"The offshore facility? You mean the one that was destroyed during the Tragedy. No… that one isn't going to work for us. For our grand scheme to take place, it has to be right here. In America's Academy of Hope! After all, imagine what would happen if they students of HHPA… the Supremes of America, were in their own special little game? Well… I think that would be grand."

"No… this isn't what we agreed too girl. We agreed that we wouldn't involve the academy in all of this. We've been in operation for far too long. And I will not let this institution fall to the hands of despair!"

The woman remained silent, shaking her head with a sigh. "It is precisely why this institution needs a dose of despair. Do you think it's fair, for a bunch of stuffy businessmen and women to judge who has talent and who hasn't, hm? Do you think it's fair… that you sit there and judge people, and have the entire nation make fun of them, and in the end, you deny them anyway. All because of money?"

"Of course it isn't fair… I'm not the one who makes the fucking rules. I'm just the one who approves things. I'm the Vice Headmaster, the one responsible is him, not me." he cried angrily.

"Blaming others eh? No… that isn't it. You and the board have the chance to right your wrongs… but here you are, accepting bribes. Humiliating children… making fun of their dreams, their delusions of grandeur. That's all it comes down too… you making fun of the dreams of innocent children.. And making fun of what they want in life." She said firmly. A look of apparent realization appeared on the man's face as he stood up, the laser following him as he stood.

"This is… this is the true reason why isn't it… you applied here and were rejected. You were brainwashed by Ultimate Despair and came back to get revenge on all of us!"

"Hmm… close but no cigar. I'm not doing this because I was rejected… I happen to be an alumni of Hope's Peak Academy. I was born with talent, I know what it's like to be in that position. And I know what it's like for someone to make fun of your hopes and dreams. And have some random bitch… shatter that reality and turn you into a mindless puppet." she said, giggling. "I'm not here for the money… it was never about the money… I just wanted to send a message."

"You're… you're sick. Taking advantage of people and their delusions… what is this for? Self gratification? Because I don't buy that!" he exclaimed loudly, voice booming through the room.

"It's funny how you think I'm sick." the woman said, shaking her head with a sigh. "I'm not sick buddy, I'm just ahead of the curve. You guys are opportunists… taking advantage of people and making money off of them in the Grand Showcase… I happened to be one opportunist who found the right door. It lead me to you, isn't that swell?"

With a snap of her fingers, the person in the back of the room lowered their weapon, walking forward. The man looked between the two, a nervous look upon his sweat soaked face. She was handed Scroll, one of the tools offered to students in HHPA. She looked at the screen for a moment before tapping one of the apps, opening what looked like several cameras.

"Humans can be such arrogant creatures. They try to one up each other, and for who? For what? Instead of working together to build humanity and prosper, all they do is steal, rape, murder. Sometimes, we need to teach ourselves a lesson."

"What do you mean by that?" the Vice Headmaster asked, his voice a little shaky from nervousness. The woman giggled, as she turned the scroll to him.

"This! You silly goose! It seems you went ahead and installed those special cameras in the school. Not only that, but you built the devices from the blueprints as well, and implemented it into the school campus. You inadvertently helped us with our take over!" she said cheerfully. The man's eyes widened in surprise.

"What… what? But those cameras… you said they were state of the art security cameras."

"Oh that? That was a lie of course!" she said happily. "Those cameras were highly advanced little trinkets, designed by a former student of Hope's Peak Academy. And they will help us greatly. Funny what 3.8 Billion dollars will buy you eh? You managed to fund our little _operation_ here."

"No… no that isn't possible! You can't be serious… they were just security cameras." he cried, grabbing a hold of his head. "We didn't fund your fucking game, you trout!"

"Oh but you did… and you didn't just do that." she said, holding the scroll out once more. It was a contract, one that had been written out and signed by the President of the United States. "Thanks to that 3.8 Billion Dollar purchase, you allowed my benefactor to rent the academy for the next four years. The US Government believe we will be remodeling the entire complex and bringing in all new state of the art equipment on the level of the Fifth and Sixth floor renovations."

"W-w-w-what?" he stuttered. The woman leaned forward, her crimson eyes glimmering in the moonlight.

"We rented the academy… which means we are the owners for the foreseeable future. So you will give us the keys. All of them." she demanded. The man shakily nodded, reaching into his pocket for his Faculty Scroll, sliding it to the woman. Her partner grabbed it, looking it over for a moment before slipping it into her pocket. "Thank you, for funding our game and for allowing us to turn your school into a battlefield."

"You can't do this… you're fucking sick you know that?"

"Me, sick? I don't think so. After all… I wasn't the one who wrote a check for almost 4 billion dollars for some fancy shmancy cameras." she said with a giggle. "I didn't do anything wrong, you did. You see, I'm just a poor girl with leverage, and you… you were a rich man with arrogance."

"Leverage… what leverage?" he cried, slamming his fist on the desk for the umpteenth time. "You came into our home, you greeted us nicely, you pulled the wool over our fucking eyes. You did all of this!"

"And you believed me. You were the one who started making deals with me, and in turn, left your ass hanging out. We know everything. The corrupt board members, the fact that you profit from the Showcases held here every 4 years. How all of the students are pre-approved and the showcase is a formality. How you siphon money from the government to line your own pockets… how you use some of said money for secret human experimentations far below the streets of Philadelphia. I know everything… all of it. The headmaster may be the one completely in charge, but the paperwork has your signature on it." she said firmly, glaring at the man.

"I...I…I"

"Well step up to the plate! Claim your reward… believe me, it's going to be mouthwatering." she continued, holding the scroll in front of him. She shook it, clicking her tongue almost as if she was calling an animal. "C'mere boy… come boy, come and get it!"

The Vice Headmaster snagged the scroll from her hand, earning a growl from the woman. He sifted through it for a moment, trying to find what she was referring too. He ended up finding a file, which had a lock on it. He looked up at her, earning a nod from her.

"Go ahead… it's your password."

The man rapidly input the password, earning access to the file. The link popped up and he clicked on it, seeing it was a live video feed. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his wife and daughter, and two others tied to some wooden chairs in their kitchen. He let out a scream, his grip tightening on the device.

"I wanted you to know me… and understand that we are not people to fuck with. I know all about that little report you filed with the Governor of Pennsylvania. How you had concerns… and how you needed the President to step in and shut this shit down… guess what… that man is on our side. Who do you think allowed us to get a hold of the deed to your oh so precious Alma mater?"

"Son of a bitch… SON OF A BITCH!"

"I know about a lot of other things too. Your affair with your wife's best friend, how her oldest son is yours… how you had his youngest sexually approach your daughter so he could film it and make a profit. It sickens me… how you can use someone sweet and innocent like your daughter, for monetary gain. Just so you know, no… the one in that chair next to your wife isn't your daughter… it's the little fuck you sent after her. Your wife isn't clean either." she said, holding her hand out. Her partner handed her a manila folder, containing several papers, which she allowed to fall to the floor. "Embezzling funds from HHPA, using her connections to siphon money from small families connected to the talents of this school… my what an extensive laundry list.

"Why are you doing this? I already gave you the fucking key. You have your fucking money and the goddamned cameras are installed. Just leave me alone!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The woman paused, reaching for her coin. She flicked it through the air, catching it in her hand, slapping it to the back of her hand. She looked at the coin, a smirk on her face.

"I'm afraid I can't do that… all of this, the money, getting the keys, running this game, it was all a formality. The Governor would have approved it all without hesitation. But he wanted to get a little bit of compensation. 1 billion dollars is quite a lump sum, he's set for the rest of his life. But you must be wondering, if I'm here, fucking with you, why even bother? Especially if all of this is just that, a formality… is that what you are thinking?"

"YES! You cunt!"

"Ahahahahah!" she laughed, wiping her tears away. She cleared her throat, glaring at the man with a giant smirk on her face. "The reason I'm here is simple. I just wanted you to see the exact moment your life was over."

With a snap of her fingers, the order was given. She held the scroll in front of the man, who watched his loved ones being gunned down. For several minutes, hundreds of gunshots filled the house. One could even hear the shots in the distance, the rapid sound of automatic gunfire. The gunmen went as far as changing their magazines and shooting the deceased bodies until there was nothing but flesh, blood and guts lying on the remains of the wooden chairs.

"This can't be… this isn't real… none of this is real… this is just a nightmare!" the man cried, moments after the final shots were fired. He fell to his knees, sobbing audibly. "They aren't dead… they aren't dead. They're all alive and well, they're just fakes, isn't that right? You're just pulling the wool over me, like you did before!"

"I'm sorry… I know this is hard for you to handle. But I'm afraid all of this… is real. This is the consequences of your actions. And now, your innocent little daughter will suffer a fate worse than death. Sucks… but that's life."

"What… what will you do to her? Please, she's innocent, don't do anything bad to her! I'm begging you!" the man cried in anger. "If you do anything to her, I will fucking kill you. I will tell the President and bring you fuckers down!"

"Heh… I knew we had a squealer." She mumbled under her breath. She reached into her pocket for a small mirror, quickly opening it. She held it out in front of the man, who stared at his sobbing reflection. "See… I told you I would show you who you truly were."

"Fuck you!" He spat, voice laced with rage. "You better not harm my fucking daughter you bitch!"

"Oh I won't… but I happened to see something interesting in those files… The Penny Project… it seems to me like you were about to greenlight some special robot guards for the Complex… I think we'll make use for that. Your little girl will make the perfect subject."

"NO! You can't do that! This can't be real… you aren't real, you're just a nightmare!" he shouted. A single gunshot rang through the room, the dull clinking of a shell casing filled the air followed by silence. The man looked down at his chest, seeing the blood staining his shirt, he grabbed a hold of the wound as the blood continued seeping through his shirt. The woman flicked her coin through the air as she tipped her hat forward.

"Your delusion has been catalogued, and collected. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Vice Headmaster…"

_**xxx(End of Prologue 2)xxx**_

**A/N: Welcome one and all to this very Merry surprise! I bet you weren't expecting this eh? Well here it is, the second Prologue of A New Despair! I hope it was informative and entertaining. I wanted to explain HHPA's facilities, so that you all had an idea of the courses and other things that are offered here. Not only that, but it limits what I explain in the future!  
**

**It seems things aren't what they seem in HHPA. A government funded academy like this is likely to be corrupt, and we got to see that today. Not only that, but you got to see a little bit more of the Mastermind this time around. I wonder who this lovely lady is? Hmm... she's wearing a fedora so she has to be a nice girl. But what's up with that coin she's flipping? Who is she really? Hmm... guess we'll find out later.**

**I'm also glad to introduce Sasha, Nodoka, Anton and Freyja in this world. It was super fun writing them, and it was a treat writing for Freyja again. I hope I got her personality right, it's been such a long time since I've written for her, so it feels weird going back to her kookiness. She's here to raise hell and predict the weather like a boss!**

**Now, onto more story related events, I've gotten most of my characters sorted out. All of the females have been selected, and will likely be announced sooner or later. As for the boys, only two slots are certain, while the remaining two slots are up in the air. I would also like to say, if you don't make it in the main cast, then you still have a shot at making it in as a Guest! The Guests will have their own role to play in this little game, and you'll certainly see it once the story begins. So don't fret! If you don't make it in the main story, you still have a shot at making it in. The end submission date is still February 15th of 2020, however as slots are filling up quick, I might close them early if I get all of the characters I need sorted out. So if you'd like to submit, feel free too! **

**I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. I have plans to work on another prologue, but I might not be able to post it before the new year because I want to write some holiday related fics. So until then, this post will likely be the final one of the year. But don't quote me on that lol. I'm all over the place recently. If this is the last post of the year, well at least I left this story off with a bang! Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you have any questions about submissions, feel free to PM me here or on Discord. See you all soon!**


	4. Prologue 3: The Secrets they Kept

**A New Despair: Prologue 3**

**The Secrets They Kept**

* * *

**Date: April 11th, 2021**

**Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

**Time: 10:30 AM**

The soft sound of clinking china blended in with the other voices around her, creating a sort of dull roar at the forefront of her mind. Normally, something like this wouldn't bother her, but her sensitive ears picked up every sound around her. It made it quite hard to focus on what she was doing. Though she was reading just to keep appearances, the book she had selected had been a wonderful read. It's writing and wordplay had hooked her from the moment she had grabbed it, and so far she had become enthralled in its story. The author had done a great job, she mused, and she would likely take this as inspiration for her own works.

Being in the public wasn't something she was used to, in fact, if she could do away with humans, she would be truly happy. However, due to various things she'd prefer not to remember, she had to venture out into the world. There was no choice in the matter, it was life and death after all. She took hold of her teacup, taking a dainty sip from it, the dark crimson liquid staining her lips for a moment. She sighed contently as it slid down her throat, she licked her lips with glee, feeling a slight surge of power coursing through her veins. She greedily drank what was left, stopping herself from licking the inside of the cup, and draining it entirely of its contents.

The people around her assumed she just enjoyed having tea. They were privy to what she was truly drinking, and she wished to keep it that way. She flipped a page in the novel she was reading, hoping to finish the chapter before taking care of business. However, she wouldn't be able to delve back into her reading. The clattering of a steel tray alerted her to the arrival of someone else. Had she been a nervous person, she would have likely jumped at the sound. She tried to focus on the black and white words printed on the pages of that worn looking novel, but this person in front of her had drawn her curiosity. And thus, she took her bookmark and slipped it between the pages, closing her book with a soft snap.

"Might there be something I can do for you, sir?" she asked politely, looking up from the table. Her crimson eyes were hidden behind a beautiful face mask, black in color with golden markings. It served to hide her eyes from the world, covering only her face and nose.

"I'm sorry for approaching you out of the blue like this. It's just…" the young man paused, looking a slight bit embarrassed. "Your outfit is quite eye catching, and you were sitting here all by your lonesome. I wanted to speak with you since we're fellow Top 100s."

The woman quirked a brow, though it was hidden by her strawberry blonde bangs. She sat up in her seat slightly, a neutral look on her face. She was curious. Why would this young man that she didn't even know, just approach her like this? All because of the dress she was wearing? She seemed… interested now. She took a deep, subtle breath through her nose, inhaling a bit of his scent. She couldn't sense any lust in the boy, nor did she sense any pheromones or anything of the sort. She closed her eyes for a moment, speaking in a low tone.

"Speak then, get whatever you wish to say off your chest. I can tell it's rather important," she replied, her tone sounding flat and emotionless. The young man felt a bit unnerved, but ended up smiling.

"Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aaron Baird, Future Supreme Podcast Host. I host a show every day at noon and at six PM. It's uh… a rather well known Podcast actually, hehe." he said nervously.

The woman took in his appearance. He looked like a normal young man, with brown hair, medium length and rather spiky. His hair was rather unkempt, though his bangs were neat on his forehead. He wore a moss-green quilted shirt with the phrase "Everything is Fake News" printed on the front, dark blue ripped jeans and black and white high top sneakers, with moss green laces. He, much like the other Top 100s, wore a diamond shaped pin on his left breast, the golden letters HHPA being visible on the front. He was rather plain in her eyes. After a moment of silence, she gave him a nod.

"I've never heard of your podcast," she replied, causing the boy to deflate a bit. "Am I to assume you wish for me to be your guest?"

"S-something like that. It's not every day you are in the presence of the famous Ezekiel King after all!" he said, regaining the smile on his face.

Ezekiel King realized what was going on. It wasn't hard to figure out in fact, she had become famous a few years in the past due to the novels she had been writing. It was what had brought here to Hope Hills Preparatory Academy in the first place. She adopted a firmer stance, though her tone of voice remained unchanged. "I would rather avoid unwanted attention. I wouldn't mind discussing the complex syntax of my latest novel. However, if it's live on the internet then I must politely decline."

"Oh," he mumbled, feeling a bit disappointed.

"I apologize, I don't like being the center of attention. Or rather, I do not feel like joining you as a guest. You probably wouldn't understand the material I would discuss on it, and neither would your audience. It would be a rather boring experience for everyone involved, truly."

Aaron remained silent, unsure of what to say. He hadn't been expecting the famous writer to act like this. The way she spoke felt like a dagger stabbing into his chest. It was so smooth and well spoken, and emotionless. Like she truly didn't care if she was hurting his feelings. This was the first time someone had refused to come to his show or had even told him they didn't watch it. It was something he had been unprepared for, and thus he was left completely speechless, struggling to form a single sentence. Ezekiel, on the other hand, was calm and collected. Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized it was time for her to go. She stood up, smoothing her elegant dress, grabbing her umbrella from the empty seat beside her.

"I must apologize to you, Mr. Baird. While the prospect of being part of your podcast does sound intriguing, I just feel like it would be a waste of time. I did not mean to insult you or your talent. As such, I shall repay you for my blatant disregard of your hobby. You may accompany me to the restroom for a quickie if you so desire."

"A what?" Aaron cried, his voice echoing through the expansive cafeteria. The other Future Students and tourists all looked in his direction but resumed their conversations shortly thereafter. Ezekiel continued looking at him, a delicate frown upon her lips. She fixed her dress, showing a bit more of her cleavage, partially exposing the tip of her birthmark.

"A quickie. A brief act of sexual intercourse, wherein you aim to climax as fast as possible. It is my first time but I'm certain I'll do fine. After all, you are a teenage boy, you must be quite a horndog. Getting it up shouldn't be too hard, so if you'd like to accompany me I can-"

"No stop!" Aaron cried, his cheeks tinged in embarrassment. He stood up from his seat, hands on either side of his food tray. "Why the hell would you even make an offer like that, to someone you've never even met?"

Ezekiel became confused, not understanding what was going on. Didn't young men enjoy sexual intercourse, especially with an attractive woman such as herself? She was certain he would take the offer. Did she not expose enough of her breasts? Was her manner of speaking off? Perhaps the offer itself was to blame. She shrugged her shoulders, twirling a small strand of hair around her finger.

"Oh, I see… you didn't think a quickie was long enough. I understand. I insulted you and your show with my ignorance. Anything less than ten minutes isn't enough. I shall allow you half an hour, I must be on stage by 11:25 AM, however. Perhaps I can repay you in another manner? I hear young men enjoy fellatio."

"NO!" the boy cried, bowing his head, cheeks still crimson. "Just… just forget it okay? Jesus Christ."

Ezekiel frowned, shaking her head. She brought her umbrella up to her shoulder, resting it on it. Her delicate fingers were wrapped around its wooden handle, dainty yet strong. Her head was cocked to the side as she tried to figure out what she had done to annoy the young man, but her lack of understanding only made her fail in finding an answer. She turned away from the young man, leaving without saying anything, the small train of her elegant Victorian-era dress trailing behind her.

"Hey bro." a voice said, causing Aaron to look up, his cheeks still crimson from the conversation he had with the Future Supreme Mystery Novelist.

Alivia Baird approached her twin brother, a small smirk on her face. She had been nearby, watching the entire scene unfolding. She was a beautiful young lady, with long, light brown hair that reached to her mid-back. She had a fair complexion, and alluring, pale purple eyes filled with mischief. She was wearing a reddish-pink, long sleeved blouse, underneath an anime sweater with a cute kitten printed on it. A dark purple knife pleated skirt hung snugly around her hips, her feet covered by pink striped converse sneakers. She had an HHPA mug in her hand, filled to the brim with steaming coffee.

"You know, you are a dumb ass, right? That super hot chick just offered to suck your dick, and you just turned her down. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Liv, shut up will you! Don't you know how embarrassing that is? I just wanted to get her on my Podcast, to speak about her new novel, maybe autograph mine or something. I wasn't expecting her to be so forward and offer something like that." her brother exclaimed, looking mortified as the others in the cafeteria began muttering. "Now people are going to talk, my Podcast is going to be filled with all of these pervy questions!"

"Well, maybe you should have quietly accepted her offer instead of flipping out like an idiot," Alivia said, sitting beside her brother, taking a sip from her mug. She set her case down next to her, pulling out her drawing tablet. "I mean, it's time for you to start looking for a partner. You know mom is getting old and she wants grandkids."

"Why don't you give her some grandkids then? You are more than capable in that regard, sis." he snapped, earning a giggle from his sister. He peeked at her tablet, seeing her drawing a panel. She had scrawled a title on the top of it. "The Cute Mystery Novelist and the Idiot Radio Host" he already felt his pristine career going down the toilet.

"I would rather not ruin my body this early in life. I'll have kids when I'm ready, now let's discuss our performances. Hosting a live performance here is a bad idea for you with what just happened, but it's a solid one. I need to finish this small comic before I start my slide show. I need you to help me, okay?"

"Sure thing sis… I'll help you out." Aaron said, holding back the urge to sigh.

The Future Supreme Mystery Novelist glanced over her shoulder, seeing the Twins chatting amicably. She was still confused with Aaron's reaction. She was certain offering him a quickie would appease him. Perhaps she should have started with fellatio first, he wouldn't have rejected her apology then. She shook her head, walking away from the cafeteria, moving toward the main plaza of the First Floor. She walked passed several others, taking in her surroundings, holographic signs pointing to various areas of the first floor were visible everywhere. She noticed a few bulletin boards advertising clubs, along with other school wide events set to start after the Grand Showcase.

She finally found what she was looking for, the Women's Restroom. She looked around for a few moments before stepping inside. Thankfully, there was no one inside. She let the door slowly close behind her, before twisting the lock, effectively locking the door. Stepping into the room, she looked at the large mirrors, seeing absolutely nothing. She shook her head, reaching inside her bag for her cellphone. After dialing a series of numbers, she held it up to her ear.

"I've arrived," she said simply, gazing at the other side of the room. She leaned back against the counter, glancing at her raven black fingernails.

"_Are you sure you are going to be alright on your own sister? This endeavor of yours may prove dangerous." _a female voice replied, slightly higher in pitch, yet similar to Ezekiel.

"I'm certain I'll be alright, I've prepared for this moment. I never thought I would return here though, after all of the pain and suffering we were subjected to," she replied, closing her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath. "If the rumors are true, then what is going on here must be stopped. We cannot let them keep doing those disgusting deeds. We should have terminated that area the moment we gained our freedom."

"_Escaping was our priority. Leaving during the height of despair was the right call, the others have been systematically taking down other strongholds. We need to be careful, I fear we may have some unwanted attention coming our way." _

"Are you in trouble sister? Would you like some assistance?" Ezekiel asked, a firm tone in her voice. Her sister was quick to reply.

"_No, we are fine. We can handle anything that is thrown at us, your mission is of vital importance, not just to you, but to all of us. We will not be fully free if we do not stop what is going on in that Academy."_

"I know but-" she sighed, biting her lower lip. "-I will continue with my assigned mission. Bringing down this Academy has always been priority number one. We cannot allow them to continue their disgusting experiments. As such, I will continue onward. You all proceed with your own mission. I may lose contact for the foreseeable future. I don't know what it is, but I feel like something big is about to happen." Ezekiel said firmly. If she had been nervous, one wouldn't be able to tell from her voice. She was calm and collected and had already made her choice. Her sister remained silent for a moment, before replying.

"_Understood sister… though it would be sad to lose you, you agreed to take this mission. I wish you luck… hopefully, we do not have to bury another one of us."_

"We will not, we will be free once we are through here, and then we can finally rest sister. Take care of yourself, I shall keep you updated when I can."

She ended the call shortly thereafter, stuffing her phone in her purse. She pulled out a small baggie from within, staring at the white pill that rested inside. She slowly opened it, allowing the pill to fall into the palm of her hand. Reaching for her mouth, she pulled out one of her teeth, stuffing the pill inside before placing it back in her mouth.

Ezekiel King had come far in her life, she knew something was going on in this academy, and she was going to get to the bottom of it, even if it took her life.

* * *

**Date: April 11th, 2021**

**Location: Hope Hills Preparatory Academy (Auditorium) **

**Time: 10:50 AM**

Hope Hills Auditorium was abuzz with activity, as the first round of live performances had begun. The day had come, and now the Top 100 Students who had passed the audition phase got to show off their talents to the whole country. Most, if not all the seats in the building had been filled, with former students, current students, staff, tourists and parents, all worried about whether or not their children would pass. The auditorium was a beautiful place, built almost like an 18th Century theater, with plush red seats. The balcony seats had been filled the brim, large stage lights were attached to the railings, being operated by staff members.

The stage was as grand as the rest of the school, made entirely out of teak, it was built using the specifications of the Broadway Theater. Crimson red curtains hung from the ceiling, calling delicately down at either side of the stage. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung high above the center seats, glimmering brightly in the darkness. It was one of the alluring features of the theater. Wrapped around the steel wires keeping the chandelier elevated, were small glowing lights, trailing down to the balcony railings.

A few of the front row seats had been removed to allow for the Panel of Judges to sit down. Three men and one woman, all part of the Headmaster's Cabinet, sat in posh looking seats, right before a special desk with 4 red buzzers. They were faceless, the only thing people even knew about them was their names. Howard, Joseph, Andrew, and Samantha. Since the Grand Showcase had started at 10, they had eliminated 20 of the Top 100 acts. With 80 acts still left to go, people were wondering what it was they were looking for. Out of the people that had gone up, 21 in total, only 1 had passed their scrutiny, and all she had done was show a montage of photographs she had built the previous day. It was a tough competition. Especially when the frontmost rows were being occupied by some of the participating students. Everyone's talents were being cross examined, and people were being embarrassed on live television.

Some people had grown disgusted by this, not liking how the judges spoke to the Participants. One girl had even thrown her shoe at one of the judges, and got herself swiftly vacated from the premises, with a Perma-Ban stamped on her record. It was a disgusting system, but it was a fair and just one.

Hermoine honestly didn't care, she had come from afar, and had struggled long enough. All she needed was a comfy chair, some popcorn and some good entertainment, and so far, she was getting all three of those things. She was bouncing in her seat in giddiness, this entertainment was so much better live than it was watching it on television. It was definitely a good idea for her to apply to this academy. She grabbed a handful of popcorn, shoveling it on her mouth, feeling a tap on her shoulder. She looked behind her, crunching down on the delicious, salty buttered corn.

"Yeph?"

"Can you stop bouncing in your seat? I'm trying to watch the moment my beautiful baby gets accepted into this prestigious school." the woman said. Hermione blinked slowly, swallowing the popcorn in her mouth. She took notice of the woman's haircut, down to her shoulder, bangs held up by large sunglasses, high-end clothing and in her lap, a Gucci handbag. She knew exactly who she was talking too.

A Karen.

And boy did she hate Karens. They were annoying, and dumb and thought they knew everything. Most of her struggles with Karens came when she gave seminars at local malls about conversationalism and the environment. She had gotten enough hecklers in her time, and she wasn't going to let this old bag of hag tell her what to do. She gave the woman a bright grin.

"Nah."

And with that, she turned around, facing forward as she had moments before. She heard the woman behind her growling in angry. She could almost hear the _Reeee _echoing in the woman's mind.

Hermoine Vasilykos had traveled far in her short life. Being originally from Greece, she had come a long way just to show off her talents here. She considered herself a vibrant and peppy girl, who loved nature more than anything. One of the reasons she had traveled to America was so that she could show the country and the world the effects Greenhouse Gasses are having on the environment, and how they could save the world together. After the fall of Hope's Peak Academy, the world suffered a lot. It was the perfect chance to help it heal and become a beautiful and vibrant place, like the days of old.

She brought one of her legs up, resting it on the edge of the seat, settling into it as much as possible, she could hear the woman behind her muttering swears under her breath. She could tell this was annoying her even more. Before she could say anything, the clock struck 11. The echoing chimes of the Centennial Bell rumbled through the area, a sweet, dulcet, yet old tone that rang through the downtown area of Philadelphia. Once it was done, the host of the Showcase appeared on stage, causing everyone to start clapping.

"Sorry for the intermission ladies and gentlemen. The next twenty acts are ready to entertain you all! We've got 80 students here that are ready to show off their stuff! So let us welcome our next act, Top 100 Finalist and Future Supreme High-Class Lady, Jenna Oobleck!"

"THAT'S MY BABY! YOU GO GIRL, I LOVE YOU!" the woman behind Hermione shouted, making her cringe. She growled under her breath, holding back the urge to curse at her. It was unbecoming of a lady to use horrible language.

She shifted her gaze forward, seeing a short girl, about 14, walking onto the stage. Much like her mother, she had the same style of hair, along with high end clothes and even a matching back. She was a miniature Karen. Hermione scrounged her nose up a bit, feeling bad for the girl. She shrugged, shoveling more popcorn in her mouth.

"Miss Jenna Oobleck… what will you be performing for us today?" the female judge, Samantha, said, in a rather posh sounding tone. Jenna gave the woman a grin.

"I'm going to be telling you all why you should let me into your academy! Like, it's so obvious. Didn't I mention that in my tape? How wonderful I am? How beautiful and powerful I can become? It would be dumb for you to-"

She was cut off by four resounding buzzers. Everyone in the crowd cringed at the sound. It had been the second fastest elimination everyone had seen. The look on Jenna's face was marvelous, the audible sound of a camera shutter filled the room, cutting through the silence. Rather than say anything, Jenna simply left. Her mother, however, wasn't too pleased.

"You bastards! Why did you eliminate my daughter?!" she cried, standing up from her seat. Everyone turned in unison to look at her, all focusing on her. Her face had contorted into anger. "You idiots don't know jack shit about talent!"

"Madam, your daughter has no talent. She started her performance here the same way she did her audition tape. It was conceited, arrogant, tasteless and talentless. This is a school that breeds talent and create hope for the future. Your daughter does not belong here." Samantha said in an emotionless tone.

"How dare you?" the woman shouted, grabbing a hold of her purse. She made her way toward the aisle, approaching the judge while fiddling with her purse. "I will teach you what it means to mess with me!"

Before she got even close, a man tackled her to the ground. The woman howled in surprise, screaming in pain as she was brought down. A loud "Oh Damn" and "World Star!" echoed through the room as people began muttering. Another shutter sound cut through all the noise along with a phrase Hermione was going to remember until her dying day.

"Yep, this is going in my cringe compilation."

That had been enough for her to start laughing. This was the entertainment she was looking for, this was what she enjoyed seeing. The woman continued to scream obscenities at the two guards as she was literally dragged away. She just gave the woman a grin, waving at her as she passed.

"Al-right then… moving on. Our next Finalist is going to perform something very unique and special for all of us. This is a young man who has performed many times on stage, in his homeland of Japan. His audition tape was among the most well shot and well choreographed in the Top 100. Here he is, the white tiger of the west, Yoshitora Utagawa!" the host cried, quickly leaving the stage.

A flute slowly began to play a soft and simple melody. As it continued, spotlights began to light up the stage, revealing an intricately painted set that looked like a mountain range. As a drumbeat joined the lights finally revealed a figure who stood at the top of the mountain. A young man, dressed in a tiger themed kimono outfit with long flowing silver hair struck a wild pose, with his hands held up like they were claws. The music stopped on one strong final note as the actor looked over the audience.

"It is my esteemed pleasure to be standing before you all today. Many paths of fate have come together on this day, and opportunity has come knocking, and the tiger general will always heed the call to action!"

As the man had been talking he had begun walking along the sharp ridge of the mountain, easily showing off his balance along the thin wall way. Once he was finished talking for a bit he suddenly tumbled to his side and cartwheeled along the ridge until coming to rest in a handstand in the center of the stage. From there he sprang forward, flipping through the air. With almost feline grace, he landed on the stage and swept his arms around dramatically.

"Byakko, the white tiger of the west was born from the very ice and snow, but his legend doesn't truly being until his master brought him together with his fated companions. The blue dragon, the red phoenix and the black tortoise."

The actor walked over to a rock and pulled a long sword from behind it. Holding it over his head before he gave it a few test swings. Several straw dummies wearing crude ancient-looking armor rose up around him. The man gave a hearty laugh as he pointed his blade forward.

"The tiger general never backed away from new challenges, and since I have become his living vessel, then I can't turn away from them either."

With a flourish and burst of speed, the tiger leaped toward one of the dummies, cutting it in half with just one swing. Just as soon as he would come to a stop he would whirl himself around and dash at the next dummy in a dance with his blade. After only a few seconds the actor was left standing among the felled dummies and planted his sword in one of them.

"But in my homeland, I have already brought the tale of the white tiger to glorious life. Instead, I have traveled far to this land with a new story in mind. The story of Yoshitora Utagawa, the Supreme Kabuki Actor, and I look forward to creating it with all of you!"

Yoshi gave a deep bow as the music flourished a final time and the lights turned off.

The crowd burst into applause, most of them standing up from their seats. Yoshi gave them a smile, bowing a couple more times. Even a few girls seemed to be chanting his name. He remained ingrained in place, his eyes firmly locked on the panel of judges before him.

"I must say, that was quite the performance, it served to wash the bitter taste the last one had. You did quite well young man, we would love to see you hone your talent here in HHPA." Harold said, hitting the green button, a loud ding echoing through the auditorium.

"I must concur with my colleague here. I was one of the few that witnessed your audition tape, you were a talent we had kept an eye on. You have certainly earned the right to call yourself the Supreme Kabuki Actor. You get a pass from me as well." Joseph added, passing it off for the judge next to him.

"Yes, you quite a talented young man, and hailing from Japan as well. We have quite a good relationship with Hope's Peak Academy. It is a shame what happened to our sister academy, and I am glad that it is currently being rebuilt. Let's hope it returns to the world, so we can bring bright shining hope to the entire world." Andrew said, pressing the green button, another loud ding filling the room.

Samantha remained silent for a moment, before giving Yoshi a smile. "I'm not a fan of theater performances, in fact, I don't even like Broadway performances. However seeing the care and dedication you placed on this act, the beautiful background, the lovely kimono you are wearing, how your tone of voice helped to bring the story alive. It was simply magnificent. It is my pleasure to welcome you to Hope Hills Preparatory Academy, Yoshitora Utagawa. You have earned your Supreme Title. May the next 4 years be the greatest ones of your life."

The crowd broke into applause, as the newly minted Supreme Kabuki Actor gave another bow. He waved at the crowd as he made his way off the stage, the crowd's applause slowly lessening. Hermione couldn't help but smile, Yoshi's performance had been fantastic. She certainly hoped to get along with him if she made it through herself.

"That was awesome. Way better than that Jenna girl, wouldn't you say?" Hermoine said, glancing at the young woman sitting beside her. The brunette looked away from the stage, her eyes glowing slightly in the low lighting. Her beautiful wings fluttered slightly as she gave the Future Supreme Environmentalist a smile.

"Indeed it was. I sense something in that young man, beauty, care, hope… he is truly gifted in his craft. I… look forward to seeing more of him." she said happily. Hermoine shrugged, about to get up to buy more popcorn, only for the girl to take a hold of her hand. "I have a question Sister, do you have a lamp?"

"H-huh?"

* * *

**Date: April 11th, 2021**

**Location: Teacher's Lounge (HHPA's 4th Floor)**

**Time: 11:30AM**

Despite the buzz going on throughout the entire academy, the Teacher's Lounge on the Fourth Floor was rather empty. A few staff members were chatting amicably, speaking about the potential students coming in, as well as the ones that had been rejected. Some were even laughing at the performers that had gotten banned from the premises.

This bothered Riyo a lot. As a graduate of HHPA, she was used to this kind of behavior from the teachers. It was odd, seeing the people that she once viewed as her instructors, speaking ill about children like that. In her mind, she knew the role of a teacher was to raise and nurture students, so that they could hone their talents. So that they could become the very best people in their field. It wasn't to put them down, and to make fun of their behaviors, dreams and ideas. Being a victim of the London Attack opened her eyes to the fallacies of the world. She wished to have her own brood of kids at one point, but now it would be impossible. So the next best thing was to nurture her future class. She had been working hard the last week, preparing lesson plans, activities and even a Class Picnic for her future children. She was rather giddy at the prospect, as she zoomed around her desk, gathering her supplies.

The Former Supreme Auditor was seen as a rather odd woman. Her transformation into a Jumping Spider didn't exactly net her any fans. She claimed to be the same Riyo she was when she was fully human, and she was. But being rendered unable to have children, in a traditional way, had been a heavy blow. She had recently returned to the United States after visiting her homeland, Brazil. Having taken up the job she had been offered, she vowed to make every single child that passed through her class a kind and gentle person. Her small pigtails moved in all directions as she looked around, trying to find her glasses. She heard someone chuckle behind her, making her turn around.

"Miss Arioka, are you looking for these?" one of the other teachers said, holding out the glasses she had been searching for. The small woman gave her a nod, a smile on her face.

"Yep! I'm so glad you found them, I don't think I know what I would have done if they had broken. They were hard to make you know." she said amicably. The woman set them down on the desk, holding back the urge to laugh and quickly wiped her tears away, in a vain attempt to look presentable.

"I would assume so. It isn't every day a tiny spider pokes your leg and asks for glasses. What does this school see in you? I wonder." the woman said. Riyo frowned, trying her hardest not to laugh back at the woman. She was one of the new hires, unlike her former professors, she hadn't earned this one's respect. She stood up firmly, all eight little legs planted firmly on the desk.

"As a former student of this academy, I have earned my right to teach her. I graduated top of my class and was a letter grade away from being the Class Valedictorian. Of course… the Supreme Valedictorian took that role, because who knew she'd get that talent during that year…" Riyo said, absentmindedly. She cleared her throat, looking at the woman. "If you are curious about what this school sees in me, it's my talent and my skills as an auditor. I've been teaching here for over a year now and have earned my stripes."

"Just barely. You should probably join the circus sweetheart, I hear they have a spot open for a freakshow like you. In fact, the Future Supreme Showman is here, likely scouting for talents, why don't you ask him to let you in? I'm sure he would gladly do it." she said, breaking into a laugh as she left the Lounge. Riyo bowed her head in shame, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Though it had been months since her transformation, she still hadn't gotten used to it all. The comments, the racism, the fact that she wasn't a normal human anymore. It all bothered her greatly. While she tried to make the most of it and remain peppy and upbeat for her students, there were times when she was at her lowest. She had been considering many things, but quitting this job wasn't one of them. She would persevere through it all, and become one of the best teachers in HHPA, she had to… it was the only thing she had left. She heard the sound of someone approaching her,

"It's a good thing she left on her own, I was about to kick her out of here since she was acting like a petulant child. Are you doing all right, Arioka?" A deep voice asked as the muscular frame of Tanzo stepped up to the woman. He reached out and offered the Auditor a red handkerchief.

"H-huh? Oh... Mr. Burckhard..." she said softly, accepting the handkerchief he held out. She wiped her tears away, a small smile on her face. "Thank you. I'm not a very confrontational person, so I don't know how to react in those kinds of situations."

The Tactician ran a hand through his hair, and gave a small nod. "It's not like you need to confront anyone if that's not how you want to handle things. You don't have to give them the time of day," he explained as he crossed his bulky arms.

"You make a good point. I just don't like how she keeps making fun of the incoming students. They're supposed to be the future of this country, and this world. I don't think poking fun at their dreams is a good idea." the woman said, sighing. "How are you doing? Do you have your lesson plans prepared? Are you excited about who you might get in your class?"

"My lesson plan has been set for a while now, as for any of the incoming students, as always I'm looking forward to any of them with a strong spirit. They're the ones who we can actually help teach and mold to be someone important in this world," Tanzo explained as he moved to take a seat at the nearby table. "Just like every year, we have a large amount of ego and pride coming off these potentials. They're going to be a pain at first, no matter how unique they think they are, after enough years at this school it gets pretty hard to tell them apart."

"I certainly believe so... but the next four years of their lives are going to be wonderful. I can't wait to meet them all, they'll be my loving children until the day they graduate!" she said excitedly, a starry eyed look in her eyes. She sighed, adopting a more serious look. "Did you get the email from the Headmaster this morning? Detailing what happened to Mr. Anderson?"

The woman nodded, bowing her head slightly. She tried not letting worry consume her, but after what had happened around the world, she was fearful of another Tragedy. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued speaking. "No one knows who did it, why it happened or even what it was related to. The Headmaster is on damage control, which is why he isn't even here today. But apparently, he wasn't the only one killed, his family was gunned down and his daughter is missing. I'm afraid it might lead to something happening here,"

"We have to keep a level head. I don't know why Anderson got targeted, or what his killer was after, but I don't think they'll make any big moves during the showcase. I don't know why the cops haven't moved to shut anything down, besides the possibility of getting some generous donations from the board of trustees," Tanzo said as his hand tightened into a fist before letting it go with a deep breath.

"Money makes the world go around, finding out the Showcase was a formality feels like an insult. I never thought my Alma Mater would hide something like this from the public. However, focusing on the negatives is only going to drive us mad. We should hit the bar and grab a drink, we won't get time off after the first day of classes." she said cheerfully, rapidly stuffing her papers in a manila folder. "It'll ease the tension... make us not worry about whatever is going on with Mr. Anderson's death."

"Heh, you know, I usually don't allow myself to indulge this close to the school year, but with all this going on, I think I can make an exception," the Tactician said with a small smile before it faded again. "Though not too much, even if I can't do anything I still want to keep an eye out."

"Of course, of course! I'll make sure you can still speak coherently by the time we leave." Riyo said happily, jumping onto his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind if I hitch a ride?" she continued, earning a nod from the man.

As the two left the Teacher's Lounge, they felt the ground start shaking. Tanzo stopped walking, wondering if an earthquake was shaking the building, even Riyo seemed frightened. The two realized the true cause of the shaking. A very large man was walking through the hall, grumbling under his breath as he walked. He was followed by a few others, Staff members who were confused, and asking him what he was doing on the Fourth Floor, which had been completely off limits to future students. Riyo used her small hand to pick up her jaw, rubbing her eyes.

"That was Briar Alling... If I recall, he's the Viking that hand-delivered his audition tape to the school. I thought people were bluffing about his height, but my god, he's huge!"

"Oh right I heard about him on the news. People were apparently panicking when they saw him walking through the city. I have a rough enough time getting into some rooms around here, that kid's back is going to be miserable," Tanzo remarked as he watched the Viking continue to walk off, undisturbed by the other people trying to talk to him.

"I've never been so glad to be small," she said, watching the large man go. She however, kept smiling. "I'm certain he's a nice boy. I certainly hope he's in my class now! Let's go, we've got a few mugs of beer waiting for us and a lot of woes to air out!"

* * *

**Date: April 11th, 2021**

**Location: eSports Lab (HHPA's 5th Floor)**

**Time: 2:00PM**

"What the fuck are you talking about you piece of shit? You're the one who doesn't know how to shoot worth a fuck. KILL THE TANK! What the fuck are you doing? You fucking asshat!"

Peter cringed at rapid fire swears coming out of the blonde's mouth. Since he had his performance late the next day, he had been allowed to roam the open areas of HHPA. That meant that he could make use of some of the facilities. One of them was the eSports Lab, one of the recent additions to the academy.

It was a large room, akin to a Computer Lab, except every terminal had a high end gaming computer tucked underneath the desk. Each terminal was separated from the next by a white wall, effectively making it look like a cubicle. The walls around them were white in color, made up of large squares, with pulsing blue lights between the large tile like partitions. The room had a high ceiling, with several ventilation shafts pumping out a steady stream of cold air. He always wondered why places like this were freezing cold, but being from the North-Eastern part of the US, he didn't mind it much. 32 Terminals had been built in this room, all of them being spaced out, all of them made to minute specifications. A large, LCD Screen had been built at the very front of the room, and currently, it was cuing up the game being hosted by one of the Top 100 Finalists, only 7 others were in this room, so it was barely being used.

The loud roars of the muscular Tank filled the room, as the high end speakers had been playing the sound out loud. The blonde idol beside him wiggled her mouse in anger as she continued left clicking, holding back the urge to scream as she rapidly drummed her fingers on the keys. She let out a scream as a "Jockey" jumped onto her back, making her drumming much faster.

"You fucking asshole! What the fuck are you doing NoobMaster69? Are you sitting there jerking your mom's titties or something? KILL THE FUCKING JOCKEY! JESUS CHRIST!"

"I never would have thought Rika Nyan Nyan was an angry gamer." Veronica said from beside him, not taking her eyes off the large screen in front of her. Her small feet were tucked on the edge of her expensive looking gaming chair, the heels of her boots keeping them in place. She continued peeling the wrapper off a peanut butter cup, popping it into her mouth. "I'm sure she would play better if she didn't scream like a banshee."

"It's Left4Dead, Veronica." Peter softly replied, leaning slightly back in his seat. He took a sip of his soda, holding back the urge to shiver at the cold. "This game just brings out the anger in you."

Veronica shrugged, interlocking her hangs behind her head, leaning back in her chair. Rika's screams of anger filled the room as she died. It had been the third time trying to finish "The Parish". The bridge level was just too hard for her. She feverishly typed in the chat, swearing at all of the other players. Peter held back the urge to laugh, knowing he didn't want to get the Pop Idol's ire.

"Big brother, are you ready for tomorrow?" the young girl asked, earning a sigh from the young man. The Future Supreme Showman was trying his hardest not to think about his performance. He looked at his lapel, seeing the diamond shaped pin attached to it. His sister had a similar one, as she had applied as the "Supreme Beast Tamer". He had to admit, her talent was down pat, unlike his own.

"I'm as ready as I can be sis. I am a Showman… I may lack my circus, but I am still going to perform. I'm going to show everyone here a few wonders, and I am going to make sure they're all blown away. It's the first step to bringing back our family. I promised Katalina I would put her loan to good use, and I promised Maribelle I would bring the circus to Novoselic. I am a man of my word you know."

"Hm." the girl mumbled, not knowing how to reply. She heard a soft yip beside her and looked down, a small smile appearing on her face. She held her arm down, allowing the small creature that had appeared to climb up to her lap.

"Hey Fou, have fun exploring the school grounds?" she asked, earning a nod from the small creature.

"Fou fou!"

This was the reason why Veronica was a "Beast Tamer". Thanks to the attack in London last year, a lot of things had been happening to the fauna of the world. Case in point, Fou. Fou was a small, quadruped animal, the size of a chihuahua. He was white in color, with soft white fur around its head that looked almost like a luscious head of hair. He had a fluffy tail, and large almost rabbit like ears tipped with light blue fur. It had bright blue eyes, a small snout with a tiny purple nose. Nobody knew what kind of creature it had been before being exposed to the waters in London, but now, it was an adorable… squirrel-like creature. A small beast. When he and his sister had arrived in London, they had been told about it, stealing food, bags and various other things. Veronica not only found its hideout but also befriended it, effectively 'taming' it. She gave him the name Fou and had brought him along with her.

While she hadn't tried to tame other wild creatures, she figured she could lie her way into HHPA. After all, it wasn't a secret that some people were bribing their way in. If her con was good enough, she'd be guaranteed a spot. He was a different story. His act was a bit difficult, but he hoped the people enjoyed it. If the judges liked it, that's all that mattered.

"Be careful with him sis, we wouldn't want one of these fuckers to grab him. I'm sure Fou would make a good science experiment for this school."

"Fou! Fou!" the small creature cried, burying it face in Veronica's chest. She glared at him, or rather, tried too, since her face remained emotionless.

"You asshole, you're going to scare him."

"What? I'm being honest," he said, leaning forward, getting a bit closer to his sister. "I've heard rumors of weird experiments being held here. Some of the forums were talking about it, and those were shut down by the academy shortly after."

"Riiight." Veronica said, scratching Fou's ears, the small creature lay on her lap, cooking happily as she continued scratching. "Where did you read that? 4chan?"

"Pfft, no. Someone named Japoka posted it earlier on the official HHPA forums. People were calling her out for it but she said she has concrete proof."

"Yeah, my ass." a familiar voice said. The siblings looked to the cubicle next to them, seeing Rika had finished her game, and was stretching her arms above her head, popping her joints. She had turned her chair to face them, a smirk on her face. "Do you actually believe Japoka got concrete proof? I mean, she's said some crazy shit in the past, her entire website is a fucking meme. I can't really take her word for it."

"Oh uh… um." Peter looked down, feeling rather nervous. The idol sighed, shaking her head.

"You aren't talking to Rika right now you know, my name is Nodoka. I'm just wearing this get up because I have a concert in an hour or so. I had to get away from my friend Sasha, she's building up her portfolio or some shit."

"Oh… we figured because you were an idol, you didn't want to talk to anyone." Veronica said firmly. Nodoka shook her head, lowering her headset down to her neck.

"I'm not like that. I love my fans dearly, but most of all, I want to make new friends. I just needed to get away from those crowds. Ugh… this fat guy I met in Orrtanna followed me here. He wanted to give me 200 bucks if I let him lick my cleavage after the concert. I knew letting him lick my armpit was a bad idea." she said. Peter's nose scrounged up a bit, and while he was curious, he decided not to press further.

"200 bucks? That isn't that bad you know. That could get you a lot of candy." Veronica said, earning a confused _Fou _from her little friend. Nodoka rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but I'm not the type of girl to sell myself like that. Licking my armpits is one thing, you try to lick my boobs and I'll deck you in the face. The only one who's licking these tits is the man I fall in love with. Maybe if he's lucky, I'll lick his tits in return."

"Jesus Christ what the hell is wrong with you?" Peter snapped, a look of confusion and disgust on his face. "Why the hell would you let anyone do that? For any monetary amount?"

"Uh… because nerds are weird and creepy, and he offered me money. Like I said, I turned him down afterward. Maybe if he sticks around, I'll sell him my bathwater. I'll make sure not to shower in a couple days, make it extra funky for him."

"Ew!"

"Hahahaha! The look on your face." the girl said, stifling her laugh. "In all seriousness though, I'm not gonna do that. Back to the topic before, Japoka isn't a worthy source of information. I much better get my information from CNN than I would from her."

"Well… we can't put it out of the realm of possibility though. If you remember, this place was connected to Hope's Peak Academy. During the Parade that lead to the Tragedy, a lot of things were said and done. A lot of people were massacred in that campus, all by some dude that was apparently the result of some human experimentation. You really think HHPA wouldn't do something like that?" Peter asked curiously. Nodoka shrugged, leaning back in her seat.

"I'm not saying it isn't out of the realm of possibility. I'm saying Japoka isn't a reliable source. With so many people here, and their focus being on the Showcase, it's the perfect time to skulk around and find some secrets." she said, a look of excitement on her face. "Come on, you wanna escort a pretty girl around this campus and search for some dirty secrets? If not we can just find a broom closet and make out."

"I think I'll pass, I have my sister with me."

"She can watch!"

"Nodoka, there you are!" a voice said, causing the idol to jump. A green-haired, camera wielding girl made her way into the eSports Lab, an exasperated look on her face. "You dumb shit, they're calling your name right now and you are wasting time playing video games?"

"Uh, my performance is at 4."

"No, your performance is at 2:30 you idiot. You have a set of 3 songs, if you don't make it down there in 5 minutes you'll get disqualified, and I cannot do anything about that. Now go!" she cried, causing the blonde to jump to her feet.

"Fine… but my friends here want to look around for secret human experiments or some shit, be a dear and go with them? We need pictures." she said. She brought her headset up to her head, adjusting it a bit. She flashed Peter and Veronica a peace sign, giving them a wink. "It was Nyce to meet you two! Rika hopes we can become best friends! Nyan Nyan!"

She ran off, before either sibling could say anything. The shift in personality was a complete surprise, it was as if she had done a complete 180. Peter shook it off, looking up at the green haired girl, who sighed as she sat down in Nodoka's seat.

"Honestly, I don't know what goes through that girl's head sometimes." she said, sweeping some hair out of her eyes. She swiveled around to face Peter and Veronica, giving them a smile. "Hiya! I guess you guys are friends with Doka?"

"We uh… erm… we literally just met." Peter said. He held his hand out, a charming smile on his face. "My name is Peter Burnett, Future Supreme Showman."

"Oh? The Supreme Showman? You're the son of Phineas Burnett, right? My name is Sasha Raymond-Reddington." she said, shaking his hand. "Supreme Paparazzi."

"Would you look at that… we have a friend who can take pictures of our circus now." Veronica said absentmindedly, as she poked Fou's nose. The small creature sneezed loudly, nose wiggling a bit. The dazed look on his face disappeared as he started playing with her finger. "I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship, big brother."

"Veronica." he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm not in the market to abuse other's talents."

"But we are in the market for people who will join our circus. Or did those plans change? We need someone who will handle our PR."

"You're trying to restart The Greatest Show on Earth?" Sasha asked, a starry eyed look in her eyes. "I've always wanted to see that show. It was so sad to hear what happened, but if this is a rebirth, I would be more than happy to take pictures for you!"

"Huh… really?" Peter asked, a look of confusion on his face. "What's your angle?"

"I don't have one. As long as I get practice with my photography, it's enough. I don't have a need for the money either. Believe me, a few Miley Cyrus nudie pics and I'll have millions in my pocket overnight."

"Wait a minute, wasn't Miley Cyrus captured and gutted in Times Square during the Tragedy?" the Future Supreme Beast Tamer asked, making Sasha cringe.

"Shit, yeah you're right… but Justin Bieber is alive… though he mellowed out after the Tragedy… and Demi Lovato isn't a cokehead anymore…. Yeah, I might have to find some other celebs to take pictures of." she said, a sheepish grin on her face. Peter couldn't help but laugh.

"_This girl is quite interesting, she's far different than Nodoka. I think becoming friends with her would be beneficial. Maybe I will ask her to join us." _he thought. Sasha adopted a more playful look as she leaned forward in her seat, camera dangling by her nylon strap.

"So… you two really interesting in skulking this place out? Celebrity nudes net me a lot of cash, but exposing conspiracies gets you twice as much. I got nothing to do and I'm really bored. I've got enough pictures to make 4 days worth of Cringe Comps."

"I dunno… I don't want to put my sister in danger. The last thing I want is to stumble onto something I shouldn't have and then get kicked out of here. The two of us have worked hard to get here, I don't wanna risk that."

"Aw come on! It'll be fun… we can get to know each other. It's likely we'll all be in the same class. It'll keep me from going insane." she said happily. When she saw that he wasn't going to budge, she sighed. "Alright, I'll cut you a deal. Since you are interested in getting a photographer, I'll join your circus, for the first few months. Not only that, I'll give you my number so we can set up dates and get promotional shots. In return, you come with me and explore this place. May as well get acquainted with our playground for the next 4 years."

"This is a good offer big brother. I think we'll all benefit from this, we should accompany her." Veronica said, causing the man to nod. He turned back to Sasha, a small smile on his face.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to explore a bit. Some of the Teleportation Panels don't work though, so we'll have to be careful. Not only that, I noticed some security cameras, they're on every floor. We'll have to figure out how to get around them."

"Eh… you leave that to me… come on, let's good!"

"Fou! Fou!" Fou cried, jumping onto Peter's shoulder. The young man rolled his eyes as he donned his hat, giving the small creature a pat on the head.

"Even Fou is into it, may as well have some fun then. Come, the world before us is full of secrets and it's our duty to expose them all!" he said, gesturing forward with his cane. Veronica couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since she had seen her brother genuinely smile. Perhaps coming to HHPA was a good idea after all.

* * *

**Date: April 11th, 2021**

**Location: ?**

**Time: 3:00PM**

"_To all Staff Members,_

_Be advised that as of today, the West Wing of the Practical Arts Building is off limits. Due to an unprecedented attack on one of our colleagues, we have decided to shutdown that area. We thought about canceling the Grand Showcase as well, but he would have wanted us to continue. In fact, he was found in his office, with a file of approved students sitting on his desk. He was ambushed by some sick individual and had his way of life robbed from him._

_Samuel Anderson was my friend, someone I've had in my life since I graduated from this school. And I wish to honor his legacy by continuing the Showcase, and allowing the Top 100 Finalists to show off their talents for our country. We have already spoken with local law enforcement and started an investigation. Plainclothes officers will be mingling with the tourists, and will be gathering clues. Be sure to have your Staff Identifications if you are questioned. A special code has been sent to all staff members which will be scanned by Agents to verify your identity._

_All we can do is honor our friend's legacy and continue on, like he would have wanted to. We will discuss this matter more during the next board meeting at the end of the week. Thank you for your time, and your services. For now, let us keep this under wraps until we can address the Alumni and the Media. It's all I ask of you._

_Yours truly, _

_Headmaster Gregory H. Xiao Long."_

Ezekiel shook her head as she closed the email, unable to comprehend what was truly going on in HHPA. She had a million questions swirling in her head, and this email only added more questions to her plate. She had managed to sneak around the school and earn some new clues, but this was a massive one she hadn't been expecting to find. The elevator doors slowly opened, a soft ding echoing through the room. The strawberry haired woman looked around for a moment before stepping outside. The hallway was completely empty, and slightly dim. The walls were a solid white, reflecting the low lighting as she walked. The only sound that echoed through the hallway was the low clack of her crimson heels.

It had been a long time since she had been in this place. She had promised herself she wouldn't return, and yet here she was. It was one of the places that HHPA had hidden, hundreds of feet beneath Independence Hall. One of the many disgusting secrets that this Government Institution hid beneath the asphalt. It was a large expanse that had been built after Hope Hills had officially opened in the 1950s. This was one of the first areas where they began to research Talent. However, as things started changing in the world, and various wars took place, they shifted from humane research to inhumane experimentation. During the height of the Cold War, scientists were beginning to experiment with talent transfers, human experiments and other disgusting operations.

Ezekiel pressed herself against the edge of the wall, glancing down the opposite corridor. Once she realized it was completely empty, she started moving forward. She wasn't at all worried, if she ran into anyone, she would have to neutralize them. It would be for the best, one less scientist to conduct horrible experiments on whoever they wanted. She reached the next area, stopping right at the entrance.

It was a large, circular area, with a small plaza in the center. There were white couches positioned in the center of the room, with a white circular table. The room was split into four large chambers, large oval shaped windows allowed people to peer inside. The chambers looked like regular hospital rooms, filled with high tech medical equipment. Fluorescent lightbulbs served as the only source of lighting, making the entire room look pale white. She closed her eyes for a moment, shaking off the ominous feeling of the place, before stepping inside.

"_It seems no one is here. They probably moved whoever was here to another location… this is only the First Basement Floor. I'm certain there are more people down here." _she thought, cutting across the plaza. She reached into her purse, pulling out a black colored scroll, pulling it open with ease.

This device was registered to one of the members of the Headmaster's Cabinet. She didn't know exactly who it belonged to, but she had managed to get it. It allowed her access to every area of Hope's Hills. She turned the security cameras off with ease, knowing the next few areas would be heavily secured. She examined the device a bit more closely, it was one of the most technologically advanced pieces of hardware created by the Academy.

They had been designed by a former student, to replace the Student ID's. They consisted of two, highly advanced handles, and a collapsible, holographic screen. The Student Issued Scrolls functioned as Cell Phones, a portable tablet, and even a video game controller. When the academy had seen the potential of the device, they instantly funded the project, and now, special Scrolls were made for both students and staff. She had heard the Academy was speaking with another company and working on a licensing agreement so they could manufacture them for the general public. She was disappointed they didn't hit the market yet, hacking this particular one had been a bit of a challenge, especially when most of the data wasn't compatible with current gen computers.

Ezekiel reached the other end of the corridor, finding herself on the other side of a locked door. She placed her scroll on the holographic panel, watching a green light scan the device. The panel blinked three times before turning green, allowing the doors to open. She was lead into another elevator. She looked at her scroll seeing the button prompts on the screen. She remained motionless for a moment before pressing 5. The elevator door slid closed, and started going deeper into the complex.

"_The arrogance of this academy will be their downfall. If they truly felt confident about keeping this secret, they would have posted guards here. But they are far too focused on their Grand Showcase to even care. How this place survived through the Tragedy is beyond my comprehension." _she thought, as she kept her focus on the elevator doors.

She reached her destination moments later, the elevator doors sliding open. The two men who were guarding the entrance turned around, not expecting someone to arrive. They had assumed it was the Headmaster, but instead were greeted with a teenager, dressed in a Victorian Era style lolita dress. They rose their MP5s, lasers aimed at her head.

"Freeze! Who the hell are you?" one of them shouted. Ezekiel remained silent, slowly reaching up to her face.

"Oh my… I… I'm sorry gentlemen. I got a little lost, I was trying to make my way toward the restroom and I got all turned around." she said, trying to sound like a confused teenager.

"Don't move…. We gotta report this to the Headmaster." one of the men said, earning a nod from his partner who reached for his radio. Ezekiel finally reached her mask, a small smirk on her face. She slowly took it off, revealing her crimson eyes.

"Actually gentlemen, I believe you have no reason to report to the Headmaster." she said, causing the two men to stop. The two men stood stock still, slowly lowering their weapons as the woman brushed past them. She looked back at them, her eyes glowing slightly. "You will continue guarding this place and act as if you didn't see me, understood?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" one of them cried, giving her a salute. She nodded, placing her mask back on as she continued walking into the room. This one was much smaller than the containment room she had previously been in. In fact, this place opened up into what looked like a control room, which was thankfully empty.

Several, high tech machines filled the room, bright blinking buttons being visible. There was a large pane of glass at the front of the room, showing the inside of another large room. There was a single bed at the center of this room, with several wires coming down from the ceiling. Ezekiel noticed various machines, moving around in rapid succession. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she tried to get a good view of the figure who rested on the bed. She could tell the figure was feminine, with long brown hair.

"_What the hell is going on here? Are they holding another experiment here?" _she thought, placing her hand on the glass. She closed her eyes for a second, memories running through her head. She remembered everything that had happened in this place, memories she'd rather not remember. She grit her teeth in anger, scratching the glass with her fingernails.

"_**Nyaa? What are you doing here?" **_a cute, feminine voice cried, causing Ezekiel to jump. She rapidly drew her revolver, taking aim at the source of the voice.

It was a cat… a mechanical, plush looking cat. It hopped up to a nearby chair, tail moving lazily. This mechanical cat felt eerie, unlike a normal cat. It's fur was completely blue, the left side of its face was white, while the right side was red. It had a beady blue eye, while its right eye was white and shaped like a star. The rest of its fur was covered in small white stars, at a brief glance, totaling fifty. It licked its paw, ears twitching as it looked up at her.

"_**You know… coming down here is a big no-no," **_it spoke, causing Ezekiel to pull the hammer of her gun down.

"What… what the hell are you?"

"_**Well, my scientific name is N3-K0, but you can call me Nicky! I happen to the prized mascot of Hope's Hills Preparatory Academy nyaa." **_

"The mascot of… wait a minute… you're one of those robotic despair loving mascots, aren't you? Like Monokuma." Ezekiel said, slowly lowering her gun. "What is your purpose here?"

"_**My purpose here? Why spoil the fun nyaa? That would ruin the party, and believe me… there is a huge one happening above us nyaa!"**_ Nicky said, almost grinning.

Ezekiel glanced over her shoulder, looking back at the machines still working on the girl. She didn't know what to say, what to do. She had only come down here to find information, she wasn't expecting to find some mechanical cat and an ongoing experiment. She took a deep breath, glancing back at the cat in front of her, her eyes glowing slightly behind her mask.

"You're here to expose this academy for what it is, aren't you? Just like what happened in Hope's Peak Academy. Humanity is prone to repeat history." she said, shaking her head. She started walking toward the door, keeping her gaze on the mechanical cat. "Was it you who killed the Vice Headmaster?"

"_**Eh… I have no idea what you are talking about, lady. I'm more interested in what you are doing here though! Gotta admit nyaa, you did a great job sneaking in here. You some sort of spy or something?" **_the cat asked, almost grinning. "_**It's as if you've got Espionage in your repertoire. That would be quite a fancy talent, wouldn't it?" **_

Ezekiel said nothing as she left the room, briefly glancing back at the machines. They were nowhere near finished. There was a lot more she needed to do down here, and a lot more information she needed to secure. While the Showcase was still ongoing, she would do her best to purge everything she could, before anyone else found out what was going on. What she didn't know was that she was being watched, through the security cameras she thought she had turned off. The one who was watching sipped their soft drink, a smirk on her face.

"I must admit, the talents this school are getting this year are really interesting. I wasn't expecting someone like her to come here though. Why would you come back to a place that tortured you so much? I guess we'll find out together, won't we?"

* * *

_**xxx(End of Prologue 3)xxx**_

**A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This is the last one I'll be working on for the foreseeable future. Mostly because I don't have my full cast yet, I would rather have my cast filled out before I put out the next chapter. I got to introduce a few cast members with this chapter, so that makes me really happy. Now that the new year is here, I can start writing new stuff! I'm very excited for this story, the most excited I've been for a Danganronpa story in a long time actually.**

**So this chapter is a little different then the last, because it features a character that hasn't been announced yet, two in fact. So it is my supreme joy to announce Ezekiel King and Briar Alling's acceptance! Though Briar only cameo-ed in this scene, I figured I could use this as a chance to officially accept him. I truly do hope you liked this chapter, it was really fun to write. I would also like to thank PettyPunk, for helping me with Riyo and Tanzo's scene and for being my beta for this chapter. I'd like to thank Raz the Giant as well, for writing that awesome performance for Yoshi! That was seriously one of my favorite parts of this chapter, so I can't thank you both enough for your help!**

**I'm not sure when the next chapter will be, but I hope this tides you over until the time I write something new. For now, I shall be working on a few other things until the day that the submissions close. Friendly reminder, as of now you have until February 15th, a month and a half to submit characters, and slots are filling up quick! So if you want to submit, now is the time. See you all later!  
**


	5. Prologue 4: The Final Day

**A New Despair: Prologue 4**

**The Final Day**

* * *

**Date: April 11th, 2021**

**Location: The Grand Library [Hope Hills Preparatory Academy]**

**Time: 3:30 PM**

"You are such a piece of shit, you know that?" an accented voice cried, causing a man to start laughing.

"I'm a piece of shit? You're the one who came over here to bother me, bitch. I was just minding my own fucking business."

Kaguya sighed as she tried to read her book. All Top 100 students were allowed to use various facilities within HHPA, in order to relax and get a feel for the academy. It just so happened that her first choice was the Grand Library, which rivaled even the Library of Congress. She had been reading a book on the Novoselecian Legend of the Golden Makango when another man walked in.

This man was rather arrogant, she could tell from his gait and how he carried himself. He had pale skin, unearthly so. He was lanky and had dark black hair atop his head. Even so, she could tell the man thought highly of himself. He picked an area near some windows and sat down, opening his decorative case. From within, he pulled out the fanciest violin she had ever seen, and began to play. The soothing music didn't seem to bother her at all, in fact, it helped her relax. However, this seemed to bother another person who was reading in this library.

A young Italian woman, dressed in a simple tank top, white shorts and work boots. She was a beauty, her caramel colored skin accented her lavish features, she had hazel colored eyes, and sun bleached brown hair tied into a ponytail.

Kaguya wasn't into women, but if she was, she'd definitely like a girl like that by her side.

She had overheard her name being tossed around, Anchovy. Of course, this was likely to be a nickname, but it seemed the Violinist had met her in the past. She wasn't sure, and she honestly didn't care. She just wanted to keep reading her book, but the dilemma in front of her proved far more interesting. She was a Sociologist, and Social Problems like this were her bread and butter, and so she sat back with rapt attention, as the two continued throwing insults at each other.

"Figlio di puttanna! All I'm asking you is for one thing, can't you see I'm doing some fucking research?"

"And can't you see I'm practicing my talent? I got a fucking recital in an hour and I want to make sure my skills are up to snuff. Not that I have to worry since I'm the best violinist in the world."

"Si? And I'm Michelangelo. Didn't you know there's a musical hall in this school? Why the hell don't you go practice there?" the woman snapped angrily, causing the man to chuckle.

"Oh… you sweet summer child. The acoustics in the Music Hall are garbage compared to the lavish estates that I'm used to. The ones in the Grand Library are far more suited for my particular tastes. Not to mention the Music Hall is invated by mongoloid fuck ups and crotch goblins as far as the eye could see." the man said, brushing her comment off. He picked up his ivory bow, twirling it in his grasp before pointing it at the Italian girl. "Besides, what the hell are you doing here and not the ocean?"

"Scusi? Why the hell else would I be here? To show off my talent to the world. I wanna live La Dolce Vida, if I wanna do that, I have to earn my stripes in this academy. Besides, my work is much more gratifying than yours. I earn my keep, you steal money from mommy dearest whenever you want to buy a new bow."

"By earning your keep do you mean doing the mafia's dirty work? Because that's all you ever do Anchovy. I've heard the rumors after all. That's all you are worth these days, even my father asked you to take care of business, and paid you lavishly for it. How would the school board take that huh? Knowing that you are a paid assassin?"

"I've never killed anyone, the same can't be said for you. I'm certain you've gotten rid of people in the past, I wouldn't put it past you." the woman said, sighing. "Look, I don't want any issues okay? All I want is to study here in peace. You can practice your music somewhere else."

Kevin rolled his eyes, grabbing his violin. He placed it under his chin, holding his bow close to the strings, blowing a raspberry at the young woman. "My answer is noooo~" he replied, running his bow on the strings as he spoke.

The brown haired Italian growed under her breath, muttering swears in her mother tongue. She looked around for a moment, noticing Kaguya, who had her nose buried in a book, pretending not to be interested. She smirked, striding over to her table, slamming her hand on it. She looked up, pushing her glasses up her nose as she met the grinning girl. "Hiya."

"Uh… may I help you?" Kaguya asked, almost in a monotone as she set her book down.

"Why, yes you can." she said, scanning the girl. She was a bit scrawny, her hoodie did nothing to hide her less than average body-type. She also noticed the Diamond Shaped pin on her right breast, which had been given to everyone in the Top 100. Her smile only widened. "Don't you agree that this man should go practice somewhere else? He's intruding in our reading, and I'm certain we could be using this time to prepare for our performances."

"I mean, yeah. I agree that practicing in a library isn't a wise idea, but it isn't bothering me. There's no librarian here and no one else seems to care. I find reading to music to be soothing." the ravenette said firmly.

"See? If she isn't bothered by it then why should I leave?" Kevin said, causing Anchovy to growl.

"Callate stupido. You clearly don't understand proper manners!"

"Neither do you. So why don't you make like your namesake and swim the fuck outta here? You don't belong here, hell you don't even belong on pizza."

"Vaffanculo!"

"If I may interject." Kaguya said, leaning back in her seat as the two looked at her. She cleared her throat, gathering her thoughts. "I noticed there is a bit of tension in the air between you two… I'm not the most social person, but I do understand some of your social issues. If we are going to be classmates in the future, it would be wise to get along wouldn't it?"

"Hah… me? Get along with that bastardo? You got another thing coming. I wouldn't be friends with him for all the money in the world."

"It's funny you bring money into it, Alessia. You had no problem taking half a million dollars from my father to salvage that treasure trove just outside my family's Italian Villa." Kevin said. He kept drawing the bow across the strings, his fingers moving swiftly as the beautiful music drifted through the library.

"Hey, money's money. Your father is at least a good man, unlike his good for nothing son." the woman said, sighing. "I can see I'm not winning here, whatever. I'll take my leave, I'd rather go put my time and effort into something that matters."

Alessia huffed as she left, leaving Kaguya and Kevin by themselves, once she was fully gone, the man started laughing, setting his violin aside as he clutched his sides. "Ah… nothing brings me great pleasure like fucking with that bitch."

"You've met her before?" Kaguya asked.

"Of course I have… she's some guttersnipe from Italy. Some sort of Deep-Sea diver who thinks she has enough talent to come here of all places. This is a school for gods! For the pinnacle of the human race, of which I happen to be. She doesn't have a modicum of a chance to make it into this prestigious academy."

"Oh… and you do?" the Sociologist asked, causing the man to sit up a bit. He glared at the woman, his icy blue eyes piercing her own crimson ones.

"Pfft. Are you kidding me? Do you not know who I am?"

"Some pasty American boy?" the girl asked, shrugging her shoulders. "My apologies, I don't have the best social skills. I'm also quite unaware of the people in the Top 100."

Kevin hit his lip, holding back the urge to lash at her. "You clearly don't seem to understand the glory of the man that is in front of you."

"No, I clearly don't. All I see is a disgruntled man who used his talent to piss someone else off, to the point that they would leave. I have no idea for what purpose but you could have easily practiced elsewhere, but who am I to judge? We all do stupid shit from time to time." Kaguya said, grabbing a hold of her Sociology book.

"Why you… do you know who the hell you are talking to?!"

"Mmm…. no… I don't think you ever told me your name, and frankly, I don't care. I will admit, your music is lovely, and your skill with a violin is second to none. But that all pales in comparison to your arrogance. It truly is the most ugly thing about you, and this is from a brief meeting. I can only imagine how much worse it is in the company of your peers."

Kevin remained silent… he hated being talked down to… this… this greatly displeased Kevin. He noticed her standing up from her seat, gathering her things. She unzipped her backpack, shoving her book inside it, slinging it over her shoulder.

"You'll regret saying that to me, wench."

"I'm sure I will. I regret a lot of things on a daily basis… I didn't bust my ass coming to America just to deal with people like you. I'm certain we will meet again, Violinist, do try to curve your ego. You have terrible social skills."

With that, Kevin black was left alone, with nothing to console him but his trusty violin. He shook his head, glancing out the polarized window, glaring at the feeble humans on the streets below.

"Fuck those two… they don't know my awesomeness. It won't be long until this academy, nay this country, experiences the awesomeness that is Kevin Black. I am the Alpha and the Omega. The pinnacle of humanity… they'll see… they'll all see…"

* * *

**Date: April 12th 2021**

**Location: Auditorium [Hope Hills Preparatory Academy]**

**Time: 11:02 AM**

"Oh dear me, this is not going as planned!"

Young Robin was many things, introverted, shy, a lover of ice puns, but a man of the people he was not. Sure, he had managed to audition to this prestigious academy and somehow got past the approval period. He had not been expecting to perform during the Grand Showcase, admittedly that was something he had not put research into. And it was coming back to bite him in the butt.

The young British boy was waiting in the wings, waiting to show off his talent. Of course, he was likely going to give a presentation about Glaciers as well as what they mean to the planet. Thanks to the Tragedy, the world had been affected on a global scale by greenhouse gasses. They were all thankful the Governments had sealed away the deadlier weapons. They got very close to a nuclear winter, and no one would have survived that one. He took a deep breath, hoping it would calm him down some. Hearing the crowd cheering only made him more nervous. He let out a small cry, clutching his head as he knelt down, biting his lips.

"Oh fuck me man, I can't do this! I can't go out there. It's not like I'm auditioning just to the board, but the whole country will see this. I don't want to make an ass out of myself on national television!"

"A-are you nervous about p-performing too?" a shy voice asked, causing the young boy to look up.

He was greeted by a beautiful young woman. He noticed the odd coloration of her skin, along with the bright colors of her body paint. She seemed to be dressed like a belly dancer, her outfit accenting her natural beauty. He noticed she had a few scars around her body as well. She had a look of concern on her face, her eyes being filled with slight fear. He rose to his feet, easily towering over her, though not by much.

"I am a little nervous, yeah." he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not good with a crowd."

"T-that is understandable," she said, giving him a small smile. "I've been performing f-for years, so I've gotten used to the crowd. I'm m-more nervous about it being broadcasted live."

"Why is that? Scared about what your family will think?" he asked curiously. The young woman shook her head, shuddering a bit. She closed her eyes tightly, forcing the dark memories into the depths of her mind.

"There is someone out there that I don't want knowing I'm here. Let's just say… it wouldn't be i-ideal if he were to f-find out where I am."

Robin remained silent, a frown on his face. He could tell this young woman was hurt, but he wasn't going to press the issue. Instead, he held his hand out, placing his other hand over it, a small mist swirling between them. "I see… I hope I didn't dredge back sour memories. Here, as an apology."

The girl gasped a bit as she saw the mist swirling in his hands. In an instant, the boy had crafted a beautiful rose out of solid ice! Her eyes were firmly on the glittering flower, as he held it out to her. She gently took it, shuddering a bit from how cold it was. "Oh… it's so pretty."

"Thank you." he said, flushing. "You see… I came here to talk about Glaciers, and how important they are in our world. The Polar Ice Caps have melted so much in recent years, that it's starting to affect the globe. The Tragedy didn't help this at all. I fear if we don't do anything, by the year 2050, we'll have flooding on a global scale, among other things. I see these ice powers as a gift, I may be alone, but perhaps I can fix part of the problem."

"You were affected by the London incident, weren't you?" she asked, earning a nod from the young man. "I'm sorry to hear that, a lot of people have been affected by it. Some more drastically than others."

"It's quite alright miss, I quite like my powers. They make me feel special, I've made a lot of art with my ice. As long as I can use it to bring joy to others, then it's something that I can enjoy!"

"Hey kiddo, why don't you take her to the bathroom and ask if you can make a detailed ice sculpture of her? Look at her hot she is. I'm sure you could get all of her features with a single touch."

"Piss off you! I am not going to do something terrible like that!" the boy suddenly said, greatly confusing the young woman. She tilted her head a bit, a look of concern on her face.

"Is something the matter?"

"H-huh? Oh sorry… I uh, tend to react oddly in situations like this. It's a sort of unconscious way of coping with my own nerves." he said, brushing her concern off. "Ah, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself have I? My name is Robin Winterbourne, it's nice to meet you, miss."

"L-likewise, my name is Jamila El Sayed, the Maiden of Ra." she said, taking a hold of his hand. She shivered a bit at how cold it was, but figured it was due to his powers.

"Maiden of Ra? It's a very pretty title, are you a belly dancer?"

"S-something of the sort, yes." she said, glancing at the poles by her feet. "I came here to show my dancing skills to the board of trustees. I just wasn't expecting it to be broadcast live across America. I truly do hope this won't be an issue."

Before Robin could respond, his name was called. He let out a small yelp, causing him to straighten up. Jamila gave him a smile, patting his shoulder. "You'll do just fine, don't let the crowd make you nervous. I'm certain you'll do great!"

"T-thank you, Jamila. I-I appreciate the pep-talk." he said. He took a deep breath, swiveling around on his foot as he turned to face the stage. Nodding to himself, he stepped out onto the stage, ignoring the lights that trailed him as he walked. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he reached the center of the stage, facing the gathered crowd as well as the Committee.

"Hello young man," the voice of Samantha said, as she leaned forward in her seat. "Would you share with us your name and your talent?"

"S-sure thing. My name is R-Robin Winterbourne. I study glaciers and ice in general… I've come here from England to try for the title of Supreme Glaciologist." he said, trying his best not to stutter.

"Glaciologist eh? That's a talent we haven't seen in a long time. In fact, the last person who bore that title was a young woman back in the 80s. That was before any of us were on the Committee." Harold said firmly.

"Indeed, and you've come from quite afar. We know things in the United Kingdom aren't fairing well lately, so I can only assume it was a challenge getting here." Joseph said.

"It was… but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. It isn't hard freezing the ocean and walking across it, hehe." the boy said, making a few crowd members laugh.

"Well then, the stage is yours. What are you going to show us?"

Robin took a deep breath, ignoring the voice ebbing at his mind as he held his hand out, palm wide open. A swirl of ice shot from it, striking the ceiling high above them, forming a beautiful chandelier of ice, which glimmered in the low lighting. The crowd gave a cry of awe as the temperature slowly started dropping.

"Ice is an important state of matter. It has been present since the dawn of our planet, since the great freeze and the "Snowball" period of our young planet. Thanks to ice, bacteria from the ancient past were preserved, allowed to thrive in a new cooler environment." he said, as he moved closer to the edge of the stage. He held his hand out, forming a snowball out of thin air.

"The Ice Age was one of the most important periods in history. You see, it was a time where humanity was tested. The northern hemisphere froze over, and many creatures froze to death. But even so, mammals were able to thrive. It also gave us Polar Ice caps, helping the planet better reflect the heat of the sun, as well as many other things."

He crushed the snowball, letting the small flakes slowly fall to the ground.

"But, because of our reliance on Fossil Fuels, these ice caps, which are so important for our ecosystem, are melting at a rapid rate. By the turn of the century, they had shrunk by quite a bit. And now that we're in the 2020s, I expect them to shrink even more. The Tragedy gravely injured this planet, it took so much from each and every one of us."

He swept his hand up, creating several ice sculptures, in the shape of people, adults, children, even dogs and cats. He twirled around, sweeping his hands out, firing ice balls in all directions, willing them to explode into snowflakes, which he controlled so that they slowly fell over the crowd.

"My childhood wasn't an easy one, I will admit. The Tragedy hit me and my family hard, but we were there together. It was what inspired me to learn so much about Glaciers in the first place. I want to bring back the former world. To help it become stable again, and shed the past injuries of the Tragedy. So our children and our children's children will live in a peaceful world."

He cleared his throat, allowing the ice sculptures to break and shatter, forming sharpened spikes on the stage floor instead. They looked sharp and threatening. He made a small controlled blizzard, the loud wind whipped over the stage, sweeping it with snow and ice.

"Ice can be a beautiful thing, but it can be a dangerous one as well. My powers were a gift, granted to me by the London incident. It's helped me to understand many things. About myself and about a simple state of matter. What can help life thrive, can also bring death." he said, snapping his fingers. All was still, the wind, snowflakes and ice all hung in place, as if floating in space.

"But… It can also help us understand each other. The cold of winter brings us together, enjoying the holiday season. The mirth of children opening presents, the warmth of the fireplace, these are things we wouldn't experience without it."

He finally turned to the crowd, sweeping his hands around, gathering every bit of ice, turning it into a large snowflake. With a sweep of his hands, he broke it apart, sending it all over the room, creating small hanging snowflakes from the ceiling, all glowing a bright icy blue.

"I wish to use my powers, and my talent, to bring awareness to the ice caps, to ice itself. Because it is an interesting element, and without it, our world would be forever changed. Even if I'm alone, I hope to change the world, even if a little bit. So please, take what you do into consideration. Use less fossil fuels, use more natural forms of power, your planet will thank you. Ice may seem dangerous, but even permafrost has it's uses, after all, it protects plants and keeps them alive in an otherwise dangerous environment. I thank you all for your time." Robin said, taking a bow.

"That was an amazing performance young man. I was quite impressed." Joseph said firmly.

"Yes, I share the same sentiments. Your talent with ice helped us envision what you wish to learn. We can tell you have passion for Glaciology, and wish to use your gift to help our world. I'm sure my colleagues are in agreement." Harold said.

"Of course we are. It is with warm hearts that we grant you entry into Hope Hills Preparatory Academy. Congratulations, and welcome to the fold, Supreme Glaciologist!"

Robin smiled, a few tears streaming from his eyes as the crowd started clapping. He gave another bow, waving at the cameras as he slowly left the stage. Jamila grinned as he appeared beyond the curtain, seeing him drop to his knees. "See? I told you not to worry. That was an amazing performance."

"T-thank you, Jamila. It was nerve wracking, but I had an ice time." he said, making her snort.

"That pun was awful." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Jamila El Sayed, you are up next!" one of the stagehands called out. The woman sighed, grabbing her poles from beside her, along with her bottle of Tiki Fuel.

"Wish me luck, Robin."

"Good Luck, Jamila. I'm sure you'll do fine!"

"I… I know I will, this is my only shot at freedom after all. May the blessing of Ra be upon us both." she said, taking a shaky breath as she moved onto the stage.

* * *

**Date: April 12th, 2021**

**Location: Auditorium [Hope Hills Preparatory Academy]**

**Time: 12:35 PM**

"Um… Miss Bogweather, are you sure this-"

"Doctor, if you'd please," Louise said, as she looked at the Committee. Joseph cleared his throat, grabbing a hold of the microphone.

"Doctor Bogweather," he corrected himself, licking his lips. "Do you believe this is a wise idea? I don't think this boy needs this sort of treatment."

The woman rolled her eyes, stepping away from her makeshift examination table. On it lay a thirteen year old boy, who everyone was sure was afflicted by Coronavirus. The young woman seemed to be treating him as if he had the common flu. The boy was coughing up a storm, looking rather pale as he sat on the bed, a bag of saline hooked onto his arm.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I assure you. What I am doing is perfectly safe, you can see this young man is afflicted by an onset of influenza." she said, walking over to the wagon she had brought. She puffed on her cigar, placing it on the ashtray she had been given. "Did you know the famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was afflicted by something like this? Back in that day, the cure was blood letting."

"Yes, we are aware of that. However, modern medicine has improved, if this young boy is afflicted by the flu, as you claim, then wouldn't an influenza vaccination suffice?" Samantha asked curiously. Louise sighed as she placed a jar on the table, turning to face the crowd.

She was not a fan of modern medicine. She believed home remedies were the way to go, after all, she had been using them for most of her life. She wasn't a certified doctor sure, but even she had taken the Hippocratic Oath.

"I am a firm believer of curing things with a good home remedy. There are things that even modern medicine cannot fix. It is there that we turn to prayer and nature. After all, in the olden days, using specific plants and tree bark was enough of a cure." she said, as she opened the jar. "The Bubonic Plague took many lives, but these practices did help to save a few."

"No… no one who was infected by the Plague lived. The infected bodies were dumped in the Seine River because the Plague houses were overflowing with bodies." Harold said.

"Miss Bog…"

"Doctor!"

"Right… Doctor Bogweather… perhaps our minds would be at ease if you provided a bit of… context for your practices." Joseph said, a nervous smile on his face. Louise sighed, giving him a nod. She pulled out her cellphone, typing something into it before hitting send. All at once, the tablets of all the Committee members rang with a notification alert.

"My dossier on my entire practice as well as my methods for curing sickly people. Now am I allowed to continue my demonstration? My patient may not live much longer."

"WHAT?" the young boy cried. Louise reached into her pocket for a lollipop shoving it in the teenager's mouth.

"Shush… it was only a joke, to lighten the mood." she said, giving him a warm smile. "Poor lad… I certainly wish I could be of more help. But my methods will certainly cure you of this disease."

"Erm… I do hope you feel better soon, son." Harold said, directing his comment to the frightened boy who was now sucking on a cherry flavored blow pop. Louise reached into the jar, pulling several leeches from within, placing them on a plate.

"I just wish to convey this simple statement. Leeches are a legitimate way to treat medical problems, those that don't think so are obviously afflicted by the plague." she said, ending her statement with a light-hearted laugh. She picked up one of the wriggling creatures, holding it by the tip of its tail. "These little creatures are life saving, many infections have been prevented because of their curative powers."

She placed one on the teenager's exposed abdomen, waiting until it latched on to continue speaking. "Yes, even infections of the cunt have been cured by this."

"Please withhold those words, we are filming live."

"Right, apologies. Infection of the pussy." the woman said, as she continued adding leeches to his body. He groaned a bit as they latched onto his exposed skin. She uttered a few words, shaking some dried plants over his body. "You will be cured, believe in me and my medical expertise. This ailment shall leave you!"

She grabbed a bundle of leaves, along with her lighter, lighting the plants on fire. She flew the smoke in the boy's face, pulling the lollipop from his mouth. "Breathe deeply through your nose dear, this should get rid of your scratchy throat."

She turned to face the committee, as the peppery violet smoke started to fill the auditorium. "Lavender is a special plant, it has quite a few curative properties. When combined with leeches, it shall make those that have light ailments such as these feel immensely better."

"Well son, is it true? Do you feel better?"

"Y-yeah! I don't feel light headed anymore!" the teenager said, sitting up a bit. He didn't look as pale as he did anymore, and despite the leeches on his chest, seemed to be glowing. "I never should have doubted you, Doctor Louise!"

"Aye, many people who haven't heard of my practice are always doubtful, superstitious even. But I assure you, all of my practices are perfectly legal. They also hold merit in history, the last thing I want is to treat an ailment with something beyond my understanding." she said. She grabbed a hold of her cigar, giving it a puff. "Those leeches will fall off when they are nice and full, I shall keep an eye on you until that time comes. With this, my presentation has come to an end."

Everyone started clapping as the woman bowed, having removed her hat to do so. She placed it back on her head, as she grabbed a hold of her umbrella, resting her weight on it. Her cigar sat at the corner of her mouth, glowing orange as she continued puffing on it.

"Well, I wasn't sure if what you were doing was even legal, but after reading your dossier and seeing the results, I must admit. You have a way with medicine that most modern doctors can't seem to beat. You certainly deserve your title, Doctor." Joseph said.

"Thank you, good sir. I appreciate your warm words. As with my young patient here, if any if you have any ailments, do not hesitate to approach me. Most private doctors only wish to perform medicine for the money, some don't even treat ailments correctly. I assure you, I will cure you of any and all ailments that afflict you."

"We welcome you to the fold then, Doctor Louise Bogweather. Congratulations! You have earned your title of Supreme Doctor." Samantha said, stamping something on Louise's file. The woman nodded, gesturing for her teenage patient to follow her off stage. A few stage hands gathered her materials, bringing them off stage.

"Up next, we have another performance! Rika Nyan Nyan left a huge impact on us last night with her amazing new song. However, she isn't the only artist auditioning for this academy. We have a special young man, sent here from the House of Mouse themselves! And I believe it's the perfect time to debut the amazing new technology that's been installed all over HHPA!"

The MC snapped his fingers, causing several special cameras to appear from the ceiling. The gathered crowd looked at the devices in awe, as a special compartment opened up at their handrests. The MC reached for one that was being handed to him, holding it out for the crowd.

It was an odd looking device, in the shape of a U. It had several sensors on the inside of it, all of them glowing in a myriad of colors. There was a ring that was meant to wrap around the wearer's ear, along with what looked like a microphone.

"This is a special device, which was developed in conjunction with our Offshore facility and graduates from Hope's Peak Academy. Using a very special version of the famous Neo World Program, this device is capable of replicating things in full Augmented Reality. When paired with the special cameras installed all over the facility, it will allow our students to see names, signs, Bulletin Boards and much much more! This is the wave of the future, the Augma!" the man said, placing it on around his neck, making sure it was properly on.

"Though it shall remain in the hands of Hope Hills Prep for the next four years, the Augma 2.0 shall be made available to the consumer market soon. We wish to debug any and all problems that may arise during this testing phase. We have many brilliant minds working on it, and we hope to see even more working on the OS while attending our school. For now, the basic system is easy to understand. Using the school network, the Augmented Reality band will allow everyone to see things that aren't really there. By synchronizing with your cerebral cortex at the base of your neck, you can do anything, from playing an Augmented Reality MMORPG, to interacting with highly advanced AI, to even playing Dance Dance Revolution. We hope all of our incoming students will enjoy their experience with this new and amazing technology!"

The MC waited for everyone to put their devices on, the gasps of awe filling the air as the stage was completely transformed. To them, they were no longer in HHPA's Auditorium, but in a large and spacious opera house, with a stage twice as large as the first one.

"Now then, let us welcome our next Top 100s finalist! The Future Supreme Musical Star, Joel Sanders!"

Everyone broke into applause as a young, lanky boy made his way onto the stage. He greeted the crowd with glee, running his hands over his pristine white suit. He cleared his throat as he greeted the crowd, his bright green eyes sparkling brightly in the light.

"I'm super stoked to be here! I tried convincing Miss Nyan Nyan to perform with me, but she seemed rather busy. I actually whipped up something funny for you all. As you know, I am a Disney Channel star, and if it wasn't due to my manager, I likely wouldn't be here. So, I'd like to do something fun with some of the most famous Disney tales!" he said happily.

The crowd watched in awe, as he held his arms out, two holographic cameras appeared from out of thin air, scanning the boy up and down, before rising high in the air, projecting three more versions of Joel onto the stage, each wearing a different colored tie, with the original Joel wearing a bright green one.

He cleared his throat, bowing his head as the music started filling the room.

"If you've ever wondered why

Disney tales all end in lies

Here's what happened after all their dreams came true~"

The young man began singing, followed by the scatting of his copies. The one wearing a red tie pulled out a small card, with the name "Simba" written on it. While the others continued singing, this particular one took the lead, stepping before the other three.

"Was gonna be a mighty king

Mufasa's famous heir

Well, your little mane's been lion-tamed

By beasts who don't fight fair

I've turned into the main event

For soldiers big and small

And now I dread my severed head

Might end up on your wall

Let me help this African economy

Oh, my species is going extinct

Everywhere you look, death

Taking shots at my pride

Thanks for that petition

To stop a straight up genocide

Scope, set

Rafiki's brains are not a cure for AIDS

Now ebonies need ivory for pay

I don't think Hamlet ended up this way

Oh, my species is going extinct

Oh, my species is go~"

The song rapidly changed in tone, as the copy slowly stepped back. They continued singing in unison, with the fourth, the Joel wearing the red tie, stepped up holding a small placard that read "Peter Pan" on it. He started humming, his voice overtaking the other three as he began his verse of the song.

"Every time I fly to town

I grow up when I come down

Now I've been stuck at age sixteen

For eighty years of puberty

In unforgiving tights

He's upright, he's upright, he's upright

We're following his leader, his leader, his leader

We're following his leader

Wherever he may bone

Tee dum, tee dee

My teedle-dee's out to play

It's fun for all

The mermaids are wet for days

This engine's revved

There's only one booty for me

Just a teedle ee rump

A teedle ee hump tee day

Think of the fappiest thoughts

I'm a happy little thot

Okay

Wendy is my special gal

She's like ninety

I'm down

The dentures never bite

He's upright, he's upright, he's upright

Hope he's bi

He's upright~"

The tone once again shifted, as the young man stepped back, allowing the purple tie wearing Joel to step forward, an annoyed look on his face as he held up his card, which had the name "Hercules" written on it.

"Save my soul

Herc was on a roll

Now every god and goddess here is begging to atone

Replaced by intelligent design

The new guy's rolling by and turning water into wine

The Romans are chanting "Christo, Christo"

He's a godsend, bigger than Nero

Out with the old in with the Jew

Hero to Christo

God's honest truth

Hero to Christo

Hey Herc, you're screwed

The Jesus freak is super weak

I'm so devine

You see I came inside a virgin's bod

So have I

I threw him in the Colosseum

A lion a la carte

Three days went by he zombified

And rose up in search of hearts~"

The song shifted once more, as the real Joel slowly stepped up, his voice soft and somber as he pulled out his card, the name "Aladdin" written on it. He took a deep breath, a frown on his face as he began his verse.

"I'm a prisoner of war

ISIS blew up my city

They're throwing me off a building

'Cause they think that I like guys

A holy war

An old fantastical point of view

Carpet was burned alive, streamed nationwide

I can't go back to where I used to thieve

Every turn suicide

A hundred thousand children plead

The toppling of Agrabah with Sharia law

Stop this holy war before we're through (a holy war)

Unholy war (that's where we'll be)

Just refugees (send helping hands)

Instead of bans for you and me

The lions are gone

Hair on my junk

Jesus is a hunk

Screw Hyles~"

The song finally ended, the copies of Joel tossed their cards in the air, causing them to burst into confetti as they disappeared. The crowd started clapping as the young man bowed. The Steering Committee clapped and cheered as well, with Samantha grabbing a hold of a microphone.

"Joel Sanders, welcome to HHPA! You've certainly earned your title. That song was just amazing, I'm a huge Disney fan and hearing these takes on the ends of these tales… It's a nice homage to these movies. It must have taken you a long time to come up with this performance."

"It did, but thanks to the highly advanced AI, I was able to do everything I could. Recording this with different ties and coming up with the placards was super fun. It gave me a chance to work on A Capella since it's a genre I've wanted to work with. If you wish to download this song, it'll be available online later on. It'll be on the official HHPA Twitter Page! Thank you all for being here, I'm sure my next four years are going to be wonderful!" he said, giving the crowd a final bow before taking his leave.

"Good job kiddo! You killed it out there!" the voice of Nodoka said, as Joel appeared backstage. She and Sasha were standing next to each other, as the green haired woman took pictures of Dr. Louise for the school's blog. The boy flushed, giving the Pop-Idol a smile.

"T-thank you, Rika! It means a lot to me, from a musician to another musician, your words mean more to me than anyone else's." he said. Nodoka shrugged, taking a sip of her Creatures Energy Drink, burping loudly right after.

"Aye, you wrote some good shit. If I hadn't been busy helping Sash today, I would have performed with ya. But eh, I'm all tuckered out. Being a fan favorite is tiring."

"I happen to have a natural remedy to cure fatigue, if you'd like I can administer it." Louise said, a hopeful look on her face.

"Yeah no… after seeing what you did to that kid, I think I'll pass. I'd rather go to a real doctor."

"Hmph… well when you have an affliction on your cunt, do not look for me to cure it, good day, ladies and gentlemen, I have places to be, people to heal. Au Revoir." the doctor said, taking her leave, pushing her healed patient along.

"God… you'd think I killed her dog or something." the blonde said, finishing the last of her energy drink. "Whatever, so Joey, me and Sasha are free for the next half an hour. You wanna get something at the cafeteria?"

"O-oh, no no no! I don't want to intrude, since you two are clearly busy."

"We aren't, I'm just taking pictures for the school blog, got hired by some dude earlier. I could use a break. Besides, I wanna check out the Photography department afterwards. And you need to eat, gotta get some more meat on those bones, my guy."

"Like Sasha is saying, it's no trouble at all. We ain't doing shit anyway, come on. Let a couple'a ladies treat ya to lunch. Or are you scared the Mouse is going to buy out the school's cafeteria before you get your pick of food?"

"No… no. If you two insist, then it would be lovely to spend some time with you. I heard the cafeteria is serving tacos and chilli today." Joel said happily.

"Oh really? Nice! I haven't had chilli since we stopped in Memphis. I still think driving all the way from Oklahoma City was a bad idea." Nodoka said, causing Sasha to roll her eyes.

"There weren't any connecting flights to Philadelphia, not my fault the airport was destroyed."

The two women continued arguing among themselves, with Joel following right behind. He had a smile on his face. This was his new beginning, he was excited to see what HHPA would bring him. Not to mention there were a lot of pretty ladies hanging around too. He was certain to make a lot of interesting friends.

* * *

**Date: April 12th, 2021**

**Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

**Time: 3:00 PM**

"Oh come on, are you certain you won't even ponder my offer?" Peter asked, a smile on his face as he stood before the beautiful Egyptian Snake Charmer.

Zalicka of course wasn't going to fall for his charms. She had faced enough adversity in the world to be treated like a circus freak. Yes, while she wished to spread her teachings about snakes across the world, the circus was not a place for her to do that. Veeza seemed calm around the man, her rattle was calm, unlike before where it was rattling due to her wariness at the area she was in. Seath was another story, he was poised, hood raised, ready to attack if necessary. It was his own way of protecting her friend. Zalicka of course, clicked her tongue, uttering soft words so that he would calm down, which thankfully, he did.

"Apologies, Mr. Burnett, but I'll stand firm on my option. I am quite passionate about snakes you see, and while traveling the world and teaching the people not to fear them would be wonderful. I cannot in good conscience travel with a circus. People would less than likely take me seriously, you understand correct?"

"A-aye, I do." the man said, sounding dejected. He rapidly cheered up, standing firm and poised before the woman. "I thank you for your time, Miss Hajjar. What you are doing is quite wonderful, many men fall victim to snake attacks each year. Some even fear them, but they are gentle creatures, who will not attack unless provoked. Teaching everyone how to handle them is a wise idea, it will prevent more deaths in the future."

"Indeed… that is my aim in all this. So many people seem disgusted at the mere thought of a snake. I think they are calm and gentle. I wouldn't be walking around with a King Cobra and a Rattlesnake if I didn't trust them with my life. Seath and Veeza have kept me safe for as long as I can remember. I don't think I could live a day without them." she said, placing a kiss on Seath's head, the snake seemed content with this, as he rubbed his face against her cheek.

"Both of them are beautiful, just like the woman who is raising them. It's not every day I meet a Snake charmer who hails from Egypt. I consider this quite an honor."

"It'll take more than sweet words to win my heart, Mr. Burnett. Though perhaps if you survive Veeza's deadly venom, I may take you into consideration." she said, as the rattlesnake flared her fangs, making the man back away fearfully.

"I do not think I am ready for that, admittedly, I am not too fond of being bitten. By snakes or anything else hehe." he said, causing the woman to giggle.

"Hey big brother, are you ready or not? It won't be long before they call your name, you can talk to the creepy snake lady later." the voice of Veronica said, causing Zalicka to scowl. Peter let out a chuckle, glaring at his little sister who stood behind him, holding Fou in her grasp.

"Veronica-Marie Burnett, I didn't raise you to be a rude young woman did I? Apologize to Miss Hajjar this instant." he said. Veronica sighed, rolling her eyes. She hated being called by her full name. She bowed her head apologetically.

"I am very sorry, miss. I didn't mean to call you a creepy snake lady,"

"It's… quite alright. I've been called far worse in the past," Zalicka said. Though she couldn't shake all the feelings, she did at least accept the apology. "I am quite curious, what will you be performing, Mr. Burnett? Wasn't your circus destroyed a few years ago?"

"Yes… it was a tragic day. We lost most of our huge family that day, and the ones who remained scattered to the winds. I've been in contact with a friend who's been in New York for the past year, but I'm not sure if she's going to make it in time. Meaning I'll have to quite literally pull something out of my ass." he said, sighing.

"You'll do just fine big brother. I know you've been cooking up something nice since we came back from Versailles. You've been putting Katalina's money to good use. If we keep investing and keep practicing our routines, we'll have a full fledged show in no time!" the girl said excitedly.

"Fou fou!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, honestly, I don't know what I would do without you, little sister. You've been my rock since we lost it all." he admitted, ruffling her hair. Zalicka remained silent, looking between the two siblings, pondering something in her mind.

"Hmm… Mr. Burnett, while I still refuse to join your circus, perhaps I could do a few performances for you. Provided that I get the proper compensation. My darlings require very specific care, as long as we are accommodated, we could help you get off your feet."

"Really?" Peter asked, earning a nod from Zalicka. He let out a happy laugh, tipping his hat back. "Great! That's fantastic. You've no idea how excited you've made me. We used to have a Lion Tamer in our show, I'm certain she would have gotten along quite well with you."

"Ah… someone else who can tame dangerous beasts, that does sound intriguing." the woman said, grinning. "We can speak about this later, after my performance earlier I am quite tired. My darlings need to feed. I'm certain HHPA has the finest mice in all of America. It's time for them to hunt."

"Indeed, we shall speak about this soon, my dear. It was a pleasure meeting you, tis a shame I missed your show. I'm certain it was a lovely performance." the man said, placing a dainty kiss on the back of her hand. Zalicka flushed, quickly turning away. As she did, Seath let out a hiss, glaring at the Future Supreme Showman as she walked away, as if saying "I got my eyes on you". That didn't ease his growing worry.

"Honestly, I cannot believe you. Here you are, waiting for your name to be called and instead of running through your routine to practice, you are out here skirt chasing!" Veronica said, watching the retreating form of the snake charmer. She eyed her figure, taking in the sway of her hips. A small smirk appeared on her face. "Though I must admit, that one has some nice hips and equally nice assets. Perhaps she will be the one to give me the niece I so desire."

"I'm not in the market for an heiress yet, dear sister. Nor am I looking to take a wife… there was only one woman for me, and she's long gone."

"So says you, but you did have an eye on our dearly departed Duchess."

"Let her rest, Veronica. She doesn't deserve to be spoken about in such a manner." the man said, turning back toward the Practical Arts building. "Come along, it won't be long until my name is called."

xxx

"Alright! Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been quite a long day. But we only have a few performances left! 92 future Supremes have already shown their mettle on the stage, and several have been eliminated. We're coming down to the wire as the last few slots are being fought over!" the MC cried, as the crowd broke into applause.

"So many have come, some many have left, and all of them have performed their hearts out. We've seen so many talents, learned so many things, changed so many lives. But can we keep that streak up? Can we grant a few more titles before the day closes? Let's see shall we? Let us welcome Top 100s finalist, Peter Burnett! Heir of Phineas Burnett and Showman of the Greatest Show on Earth! Give him a round of applause!"

The crowd jumped a bit as the stage virtually exploded into flames. Of course, thanks to the Augmented Reality devices, all of this was just an illusion, but it served to bolster the excitement in the air, as the Future Supreme Showman appeared on stage in a swirl of confetti, his back facing the crowd as he leaned on his parade cane.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages! I welcome you to the rebirth, and rebranding of what was formerly the Greatest Show on Earth!" the man said, spreading his arms out, his voice booming all over the auditorium. He finally turned around to face the crowd, a smile on his face as he stepped forward, giving everyone a wave.

"It… has been a long time since I've performed before a crowd like this. The past few years, me and my sister have spent making small shows in Paris. But never you fret, we have returned bigger and better than ever!" he said cheerfully. He started walking around the stage, twirling his cane as he walked. "A main staple of our show was to impress the people. After all, this was all funded on a basic principle, to give people who didn't fit in a place to belong. And that core value hasn't changed. We are a warm and happy family. We have suffered a great many losses, and even now those that remain have scattered to the winds… but that is a minor setback."

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly will you be performing?" Samantha asked, causing the man to trip. He turned to face her, tugging his vest as if he had been stabbed.

"Allow me to finish my glamorous speech before asking what I'll be bringing to the table!" he said, in a joking manner. The crowd burst into laughter, much to the woman's dismay. "I jest, I jest. Most of the performances that we handle are… well… far too large for a setting such as this. So that means motorcycles, the flying trapeze, unicycle tricks and many many more things are out of the question. But we can still have a bit of fun, can't we?"

He took off his hat, twirling it around for a moment before tapping it with his cane, causing several white doves to fly out of it. The crowd looked in awe, as he snapped his fingers, causing them to burst into glittering butterflies, all of which glowed in a myriad of colors.

"Even I am capable of simple magic… but what do petty parlor tricks have when real magic exists in our world? Nay, we need to go bigger!" he cried, tapping his cane on the ground.

"Mr. Burnett, there is no doubt that you can show us something magnificent. However, you have yet to captivate any of us. Sure, you speak well, your voice carries force behind it, but without showing us anything, you cannot hope to pass this trial. You are a Showman, do something other than speak." Joseph said firmly, leaning back in his seat.

"R-right. Yes of course. I'm just waiting for the p-performers to set up. Allow me to go into a brief history of the first act. It is one of the oldest ones within our Circus's repitoire!"

From the wings, Veronica shook her head, a frown on her face. She hugged Fou tightly in her grasp, frowning. "Oh God, Fou. He's losing it… we don't even have performers in the wings. What the hell are we going to do?"

"Why don't you let us take over?" a meek sounding voice said, causing her to jump. She turned around, eyes widening a bit in surprise.

"O-Olivia? Y-you actually made it?" Veronica mumbled, tears threatening to spill.

Before her stood a beautiful woman, one of the few who had survived the circus fire a few years back. She was one of the famous dancers within their circus, commanding her own troupe of dancers. Long, pale pink locks cascaded down to her waist, tied up in a single high ponytail. Two braids served to frame her face. She was wearing a black top, with long pieces of silk strapped to her wrists. She wore parachute pants on her legs, along with brown sandals. She had a dark red burn mark on her right shoulder, but her skin was otherwise flawless. Veronica gave her a tight hug, holding back her tears.

"I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"Sorry… things got a little bit hectic for us." she said, gesturing to the others in the group, who were all checking their things over. "We managed to track down Kitty's whereabouts, but we're not sure if she's alive or not."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that." she said softly. A violet haired woman strode up to the pair, holding a lion cub in her arms. Despite being older than most, she still looked quite good for her age. She had a few scars on her face, and one of her eyes was completely white in color, a slash mark being visible over her left eye. She ruffled her hair, somehow holding the cub still.

"It's alright dear… my little kitten is alive and kicking somewhere. We were sure she was in the Big Apple, but our coordinates may be off. Even still, when Olivia told us Peter was reviving this show, we needed to come back. So we recruited some performers, Olivia traced some of her friends, and Zacharias called in a few favors. We're all here for you. Now, tell us what to do."

"Right… make sure my brother doesn't fuck this up." the woman said firmly.

"Aye, you heard her ladies and gents. Let's make this the Greatest Performance of the day!" Katerina said firmly, earning resounding cries from the crowd. Olivia grabbed a hold of her fans, nodding to herself.

"Oh, how I've yearned to dance again."

xxx

"And that my friends, is the full history of the belly dance!" Peter said, bowing his head slightly as the crowd broke into a forced applause. It ended far too quickly for his liking. He sighed, bowing his head further in shame.

"That was a nice history lesson, but we haven't been compelled yet. Your time slot is coming to an end, Mr. Burnett. If you fail to impress us in the next few minutes, we will have to ask you to leave."

"Y-you can't." the man said, looking up from the floor. He stood firmly as he faced the crowd, avoiding the cameras that were aimed at him. "Me and my sister have come too far… we've been rejected by so many people. Even Versailles Academy gave us the boot… I made two special people a promise… that I would raise this show back up from the cinders, and I will not let that promise be broken."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep son." Harold said firmly, earning boos from the crowd. Peter tightened his grip on his parade cane, glaring at the man.

"Try telling that to a woman who was burned to death in a sick killing game. I made the Duchess of Novoselic a promise, that I would bring this circus to her home. And God Dammit, I will! You just have to give me a chance! I have so many things in store for you!"

"And so do we!"

Peter jumped a bit at the voice, as footsteps filled the stage, he turned back, seeing several people standing behind him, all of them ready to perform. He recognized a few faces, especially those of the dancers and the jugglers. A familiar head of pink made her way through the small group, stepping out to the front. He sighed with relief, taking a shaky breath.

"Olivia!"

"Hey Peter, it's been awhile. But we're here to perform, so tell us what to do." she said firmly. He nodded, adopting a firm pose. He twirled his hat around, placing it on his head, running his fingers over the brim. He took a deep breath, tapping his foot on the wood as he held his cane out.

"Ladies and Gents, this is the moment you've waited for."

"Ladies, let's do this!" Olivia cried out, unfurling her fans as the man left the stage. She spun on her heel, beginning her routine, her body's lithe movements captivated the crowd, as she continued dancing on the center stage.

Her silky cloths followed her every jump, twirl and spin, helping to accent each and every one of her delicate movements. She tossed her fans high into the air, performing a backflip into a handstand, catching the fans with her feet. At the same time, two ring jugglers flanked her sides, tossing their rings back and forth while she continued spinning on her hand, all while balancing the fan on her foot.

"Check out that balance! I'll have you know, young Olivia hails from a city in Russia. She's been practicing this act since she was four years old. She's one of the youngest dancers in our group, and assembled her own group before even merging with Burnett's. Back in St. Petersburg, she was known as "The Parachute Princess" due to her odd choice in legwear." Peter said, grinning as the woman continued performing.

As the dancers exited the stage, two men stepped up, lighting some torches on fire. The two started expertly juggling them, throwing them as high as possible without dropping them. A young woman stood between them, twirling a flaming hoop around her waist while holding another woman in her grasp. The jugglers continued juggling the torches, passing them to the woman who expertly tossed them back.

"Now remember kiddies, fire is a dangerous element. These guys have been practicing this trick for a long time. They are professionals, so don't go home and try this. As always, Burnett's circus isn't responsible for any burns and or accidental arson charges that may afflict your family and friends, thank you!" Peter said in a joking manner, causing the crowd to laugh.

The final part of the performance began, with Katerina appearing on the stage, flanked by two adult male lions. She gave the crowd a bow, unfurling her whip as she flicked out at the crowd, the loud crack causing several people in the front row to jump. She snapped her fingers, tapping her thighs to attract the lions to her. The two ferocious beasts followed her every movement.

"On Franklin, on Julius. Spin!" she commanded, cracking her whip. The lion on the left stood on its hind legs, baring its fangs, followed by the one on the right. The two started spinning around, following the same direction as the lion tamer. "Good job boys! Now play dead!"

On that command, both animals fell to the ground with a thump, laying completely lifeless. The a small lion cub came bounding onto the stage, noticing what the two were doing. He started poking them on the nose with a paw, wondering what was going on. Katerina smirked, snapping her fingers.

"Long Live the King!"

One of the lions let out a roar, slamming its paws onto the other, growling in its face. It got close to its snout, giving it a small lick before releasing it, the large lion falling off the stage while the cub let out a whimper. Katerina let out a shrill whistle, causing the lion to jump back onto the stage, where the four bowed.

"This is but a brief offering, but I do hope you have enjoyed it. Were we outside, perhaps you could have seen even a mighty elephant!" Peter said happily, as he strode back toward the center stage. "As always, I thank my wonderful performers, Miss Olivia and her troupe, as well as Zacharias, who isn't present but sent forth his famous Juggling Group!"

The crowd started cheering and clapping, rising from their seats. Peter cleared his throat, as he stepped forward, nearing the edge of the stage. "Before I end our performance, I'd like to dedicate this to Miss Katalina Loera… if it wasn't for her, I doubt we would even be here right now. She's been a fantastic help… sadly, I do not know of her fate, she was a victim of the Versailles Academy Killing Game. I pray that she managed to survive that ordeal. Which is why I also step forth bearing the new name for our circus. Burnett and Loera's Circus, The Greatest Show on Earth! I thank you all for being here!"

"Hmm… I must admit young man, for a moment there, I didn't think you were actually going to impress us. But keeping us distracted while your friends prepared their routines, I must say I am impressed. Not only that, but you managed to keep our attention on everyone present!" Joseph said.

"Indeed… you good sir have a good thing going. I myself was once at your show, back when your late father was still the Showman. I have no doubts about you bringing this circus back from the brink. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Burnett and Loera's will soar again. But you'll need to be an official Supreme before doing that." Samantha said.

"My colleague is right! So without further ado, let us all congratulate our newest Supreme Showman, Peter Burnett!"

The man let out a sigh of relief as he felt his friends patting his back and hugging him. Olivia wrapped her arm around his waist, placing a firm kiss on his cheek, much to his embarrassment. He could feel Fou climbing up to his shoulder, giving him a few congratulatory licks on the cheek.

"You did it big brother! I knew you had it in you!" Veronica said happily. He shook his head, ruffling her hair.

"No sweetheart, we did it. All of us… this victory isn't just mine, but it belongs to all of us. Let's continue the legacy set before us. In four years, we'll be back and better than ever. For now, all of you take a break, you deserve it." Peter said.

"Are you kidding me? We've been sitting on our asses for the last three years, I'd be caught dead in the water taking a break!" One of the jugglers said.

"Yes, though my daughter is still missing, I want nothing more than for us to build a home. A place for all of the renegades to meet up! We need to light a path for her to come home." Katerina said firmly.

"Aye… then let's do it! Let's get this show on the road!" he said, twirling his cane, resting it on his shoulder as he took the lead.

Things were beginning to look up for Peter. Now that he had successfully earned his title, it was time for him to start his circus in earnest. And for that, he would have to give it his all.

* * *

**Date: April 12th, 2021**

**Location: Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**

**Time: 11:50 PM**

"So, are things ready?" the green-haired young man asked, glancing over his shoulder. The three gathered figures nodded, making sure they stuck to the shadows. Independence Hall was completely pitch black, but as it was tied to HHPA Proper, it was heavily guarded. The only one who was visible was Lugh himself, who sat at the head of the table, where the Declaration of Independence had been signed.

"They are… I wasn't expecting this chick to be so deep in the confines of this school. It feels weird being back here, you know? So much has changed and yet, everything remains the same." a male voice said.

"I know why you mean sweetheart. Our Alma Mater is in danger, and we cannot let it fall into the clutches of Ultimate Despair. Are you certain this is who you think?" the third voice, a female, asked, earning a humph from the fourth.

"I can assure you, it's her alright. I know her far too well, I know her quirks, how she works and everything else in between. It's just sad that she ended up falling this deep into the pit. She must be so alone and scared… I don't particularly feel good about abandoning her."

"You can't take the blame for that, you weren't in your right mind after all." the young alchemist said, peering out the window. "Getting into this academy without appearing in the showcase was difficult. Of course, who can turn down literal pounds of gold? The plan is set, I'll go in as a distraction. Is our agent ready?"

From the other side of the hall came a young woman, a firm look on her face. She had pale colored skin, which glistened in the moonlight. Her long hair was straight and fell to her waist, and seemed to be dyed in a rainbow of colors, with each section being divided by color. Part of it was held back by a black bow, which she wore at the back of her head. She had a slim frame, with an hour-glass figure.

She was wearing a sleeveless light-blue shirt, with a picture of a cloud printed on it, along with a bright rainbow colored bolt striking the ground. She was wearing a pair of matching jean shorts, long rainbow colored socks and Converse Sneakers. Around her shoulders was a backpack, in the shape of a famous My Little Pony Character, Rainbow Dash. The young woman was clutching a plushie in her arms, of the same character, her finger-nails being painted in the varying colors of the rainbow. She took a deep breath, a somber look on her face.

"Must I really wear this?"

"You wanted to help us rid this academy of despair right?" Lugh asked, earning a nod from the young woman. "Besides, you wanted to connect with someone in this academy right? Perhaps it will help you find your missing friend."

"He's right. This is the only way you might find her, after all the shit you've been through. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but will you do it? Will you face against despair one more time?" the second male voice asked, earning a nod from the young woman.

"I will… after the last time, I cannot sit by and let more people die. So if I must… I will fight." she said firmly, clearing her throat. "Besides, everyone knows I'm the world class My Little Pony fanatic! I am the Supreme Pega-Sister after all!"

"Aye… getting us in this school wasn't easy. You have plenty of shade gel correct? I ensured the windows here were polarized, but we cannot be too sure." Lugh said, earning a nod from the girl, who gave him a wink.

"I'm covered Lugh! I got enough Shade gel to last me for three and a half months. If we work fast we'll be able to stop this girl before things get too far!"

"We wish you two luck. Admittedly, we would love to help out but being former graduates makes it hard. It doesn't help that the world thinks we're both dead, if my mother were to see me, I doubt she'd just sit idly by." the other boy said.

"We'll be connected with you every step of the way. Besides, we have one life-line left, but I would rather we didn't use it." one of the girls said, glancing at Lugh's hand, which bore a rather peculiar mark on it. He was quick to hide it, looking away from the shadows.

"I suppose this is it… we won't be able to speak until this operation is over. I want you guys to leave this place, head to the designated meeting point. We'll let you know when all of this is over."

"You got it Lugh, be careful in there. We almost lost you once, we can't afford to lose you again." the oldest woman of the group said, shifting her attention toward the newly minted Supreme Pega-Sister. "Thanks once again for agreeing with this. I would love nothing more than to go in there and take care of things myself. But the moment I'm spotted, this school will go under lockdown. All I can do is wish you luck."

"It's quite alright Miss… I'm ready for whatever may come. After the last few run-ins with despair that I've had, I'm no longer fearful of them. I've been given a new lease on life, one that I can't afford to lose. So I'll fight! I'll fight to free these kids from the hand of despair."

"It's time for us to go." the green-haired man said, grabbing a hold if his knap-sack, slinging it over his shoulder. "Are you prepared for this? Or do you want more time?" he continued, glancing at the rainbow themed girl.

"Nah, I'm fine. I think I can get a handle on all of this!" she said happily. She took a deep breath, turning away from the shadows. "I'll make sure to get everyone out of this alive, or my name isn't Heather Gonzales! The Supreme Pega-Sister!"

xxx(End of Prologue 4)xxx

Surviving Students 29

* * *

**A/N: Heyo people of Earth! It is I, CelestialSkyDragon bringing you another update for Hope Hills Prep!**

**First and foremost, I would like to apologize for being unable to update. A lot of things have been happening to Legacy of Hope, so I have been focusing on that. Not to mention I haven't had the motivation to write anything for this for awhile. But never you fret! For The motivation is back baby, and it's better than ever, I hope.**

**First, I would like to make an announcement regarding the Guest Cast. After much reflection, I have decided to do away with it. I selected 4 characters from the Guest Group to join the main cast. I have also given Kaguya Kagami a unique role, which is listed on the AND Profile Page. I decided that running two games at the same time would be too much of a hassle, so it was much easier to just combine the two. My ideas for that would be game did get consolidated into the main cast, so they didn't go anywhere.**

**I have also retroactively changed a lot of things before the story began. That means the predetermined deaths that I had before have been changed. Not only that, I'm not the one deciding who lives and dies anymore, that goes to my sister. So if your OC is picked to die, then my hands are tied, I'm afraid. Should make for a fun time.**

**With this though, the Prologues come to an end. The Next chapter will be a special one, serving to introduce the characters that haven't yet been introduced. And then after that… well shit is gonna get really real, really fast.**

**Finally, I would like to introduce a girl that my brother and sister have been working on for awhile, the Supreme Pega-Sister, Heather Gonzales, the best Pega-Sister in the entire universe. This was an homage to My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, a show that we all grew up watching. When I pitched the idea of adding someone who was obsessed with the show, my brother jumped on it. It took him months to perfect but here she is. But why is she working with Lugh? What is going on with him and what exactly are they and Those Who Slither in the Dark doing? Who knows? I guess you'll have to find out soon enough.**

**And before I forget, the song used in this Chapter is called After Ever After by YouTuber Paint. Check him out, he does a lot of a capella videos and has two more of these songs. Their freaking hilarious.**

**Now that I have my final cast, I will be able to do so many great things! I hope you all look forward to them, because the show is only just beginning. And now that the prologue is officially over, all I can say is…**

**"Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth!"**


	6. Opening the Flood Gates

**Hello everyone and welcome to this August Update for Hope Hills Prep. I know it has been a long time since my last update, but a lot of things have happened. Obviously, everyone on discord knows what went down but the general audience here on FFN doesn't have a clue of what's happening. So this update is here to inform you. So let's begin shall we?**

**First and foremost, I have parted ways with Legacy of Hope. For a long time, I was writing Dangaronpa fics strictly for this series. I ended up abandoning my own series, which I will admit, was rather lackluster, in order to work for this series. Formerly known as Legacy of Despair, I wrote two original stories for it, Isle of the Damned, as well as Hope Hills Preparatory Academy. I of course helped with House of Horrors, worked on Oasis of Despair, before it's cancellation, worked on Versailles Academy for a short period of time, as well as helped with Prisons of the Past, and various other Spin offs for this series. It was announced in December that Legacy of Despair would be rebooted into what is now, Legacy of Hope. Of course, I had to scramble to get things in order so that nothing went wrong...**

**With this came changes in canon, characters being removed and stories being reworked from the ground up which halted forward progress, as I would have to rework things in order to make sure everything fit in canon. With the new mastermind being selected, I couldn't go forward, as the mastermind was an integral part of HHPA's backstory, the mastermind I am referring to is the one in A New Luck, of course. Until they were announced, there was a lot I couldn't do. Sure, I could go forward, probably get to around the ending of Act 2 and probably have to put a stop to it while ANL updated. Progress for that story was slow, and I will admit, there was a lot I didn't like about that story. I was just tired of working with Canon characters, those from DR1 SDR2 and V3. I was more looking forward to working on the sequels which were all dealing with OC characters. That ended up not happening...**

**Things in the server weren't going well either, fact of the matter is, to me it turned into a cesspool. There was only so much I could take before I just called it quits. Tons of things happened behind the scenes, things that I will keep to myself. But let's just say, Isle of the Damned was canceled because the ending I had worked months on, was ruined by someone else. I grew depressed, and family matters just made that even worse. I grew to loathe that story really. Whatever the case may be, that story was swiftly canceled and I was looking forward to reworking it to fit Legacy of Hope, as Island of the Forsaken. But things don't go as planned...**

**Danganronpa isn't a fun series for me to write anymore. In fact it feels awful just working on it, but it feels even worse not writing something after so many people graciously submitted their OCs. I have been restructuring things for HHPA going forward and decided to continue my old AU, however, that AU is dated, and needs a lot of work, so I have decided on something else entirely.**

**I am going to be reworking the entire AU into a Danganronpa and Zero Escape series. I feel in love with this series the moment I played it, and in many ways, it is way better than Danganronpa. As such, I will be starting a 9 part series where HHPA will eventually be a part of. Thing is, it will take awhile in order to get to HHPA. But as things stand, it's the only way to make it work.**

**And the name of this AU? It's simple but effective. It shall be called "The Nonary Saga: 9 Despairs, 9 Games, 9 Hopes" I have decided to follow the naming convention of the series, and keeping 9 as the central focus, since 9 is an important number in the series.**

**Why 9 stories? Well, 9 is a central number in Zero Escape. You all think "But he's biting off more than he can chew with this shit" however, each story, minus a few, will be around 20 chapters each, all of them having 10k chapters or so. The chapters will be longer, but that's due to the stories being shorter. This is a benchmark that I set for myself, because I don't want to take god long in order to write this. As I type this, the pilot story "Zero Escape: The Academy of Despair" has 10 chapters ready to post, so it's already halfway done. The only reason I might write extra chapters, will be if I can't fit the plot into the contained twenty, or are killing game stories.**

**Killing Game stories will be different, while this series will focus on "Escape Room" stories, the Killing Game stories will feature casts that will go through DR style KGs. Island of the Forsaken is also going to be a part of this series, because in order for HHPA to work, Island must happen. Characters will be shuffled around a bit, but the OCs for the most part, will remain the same. HHPA will also be one of these KG stories, and will play an integral part in all of this.**

**Island of the Forsaken will also be reopening to submissions in the future. Reukra, Haruna, Dalila, Diego and Miyaki will be the only ones that will returning. Everyone else is going to be replaced entirely when the time comes.**

**It's been hard having to restructure all of this, these past few days have been stressful, and I've had to put everything on hold just to structure this. I'm still not done, there are characters that have to be replaced, characters that have to be rewritten, plots and other things that have to be consolidated, it'll be a few weeks of work. Work that I'm gonna do on the weekends, since my focus is mostly on Fate, which has taken up a lot of my time recently and has helped me destress from this. The first chapter of Zero Escape will be up one hour after this post goes up, it's actually been in my FFN docs for awhile. I dunno when I'll take this series up full time, with all the work I have to put in to it, but I do apologize for the agonizing wait. **

**But I have some more news! I have actually created a discord server for all of you to join! If you wanna come, chat with me, ask for information about the series or just to hang out and post memes, then you are all welcome! It's mostly Fate themed, but there's a little something for everyone there. I want to ensure all of you have a means to communicate with me, and ask all the questions you need too, plus it's more convenient than FFN PMs, which I hardly ever look at. I'll be posting the code in my profile as well, and it's an open invite, so share it with whoever you want! Just be sure to remove the spaces because you know how this website is on sharing links and shit.**

** discord. gg /TmZFbsA**

**I hope you all are having a wonderful week, it's been hell for me, but I am really happy. My sister finally had her baby, a beautiful and really big girl. So that's part of the reason I've been stressed haha. There are other reasons, but meh, I don't wanna bore you. I'm not sure if I'll keep doing monthly updates like this, I don't wanna clutter the story up with update posts, nor do I want to excite people by seeing a new chapter only to see this. So I'll likely limit my announcements to Discord, unless I have to post here. See you all soon, and I really do truly hope you join! I can't wait to speak with you all!**


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